AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER 
PROTECTION 


BY 


GORHAM  DANA,   S.  B. 

MANAGER,  THE  UNDERWRITERS^  BUREAU  OF  NEW  ENGLAND, 
BOSTON,  MASSACHUSETTS 


SECOND  EDITION 


NEW  YORK 

JOHN  WILEY  &  SONS,  INC. 

LONDON:    CHAPMAN   &   HALL,   LIMITED 
1919 


•3 

5 


COPYRIGHT,  1914,   1919, 

BY 

GORHAM  DANA 


Stanhope  $ress 

F.    H.GILSON   COMPANY 
BOSTON,  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 


THIS  book  is  based  on  a  series  of  lectures  delivered  by 
the  writer  before  the  Insurance  Library  Association  of 
Boston  in  the  spring  of  1913.  These  lectures  covered  the 
third  year  course  in  the  subject  of  Fire  Protection  as 
outlined  by  the  Insurance  Institute  of  America.  In  this 
book  the  lecture  notes  have  been  greatly  amplified  in  an 
effort  to  cover  more  thoroughly  all  phases  of  the  subject. 

There  has  been  added  an  appendix- in  which  all  sprink- 
ler heads,  about  which  any  information  could  be  ob- 
tained, are  listed  alphabetically,  and  briefly  described. 
Several  years  ago  the  writer  listed  and  photographed  the 
sprinkler  heads  shown  in  the  first  edition  of  the  Crosby- 
Fiske  Hand  Book  of  Fire  Protection,  these  being  taken 
largely  from  the  collection  owned  by  the  Underwriters' 
Bureau  of  New  England.  These  were  afterwards  re- 
photographed  and  a  number  were  added.  The  authors 
of  the  Hand  Book  have  kindly  loaned  these  cuts  for  use 
in  the  appendix.  A  number  of  new  types  and  variations 
of  old  types  have  been  added  to  this  list  but  as  the  names 
and  numbers  as  given  in  the  Hand  Book  have  become 
quite  generally  recognized  throughout  the  country,  care 
has  been  taken  not  to  change  these  and  fractional  num- 
bers have  in  some  cases  been  used  to  designate  sprinklers 
that  have  come  to  notice  since  these  photographs  were 
taken. 

Having  been  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Automatic 
Sprinklers  of  the  National  Fire  Protection  Association  for 
several  years,  the  writer  has  had  an  opportunity  to  keep 
in  touch  with  all  the  late  developments  in  this  interesting 
art. 

iii 


iv  PREFACE 

The  aim  of  the  book  is  to  cover  the  subject  in  such  a 
way  that  it  can  be  used  as  a  text  book  for  person^  study- 
ing sprinkler  protection  and  as  a  reference  book%r  those 
already  versed  in  it. 

Assistance,  which  is  gratefully  acknowledged,  has  been 
received  from  Mr.  E.  V.  French,  Vice-President  of  the  Ark- 
wright  Mutual  Insurance  Company;  Mr.  Q  W.  Mowry, 
Engineer,  Factory  Mutual  Ins.  Cos. ;  Mr.  Russell  Grinnell, 
Vice-President  of  the  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Company; 
Mr.  J.  C.  Meloon,  Mechanical  Engineer  with  the  same 
company,  Mr.  A.  M.  Lewis  of  the  Associated  Automatic 
Sprinkler  Co.,  and  others.  Mr.  C.  J.  H.  Woodbury's 
report  on  Automatic  Sprinklers  made  in  1884  has  been 
^freely  quoted  and  much  valuable  information  was  obtained 
from  this  and  other  articles  by  Mr.  Woodbury.  Mr.  C.  C. 
Johnson  of  the  American  District  Telegraph  Company  and 
Mr.  George  H.  Spooner  gave  valuable  assistance  on  the 
subject  of  Sprinkler  Supervisory  Systems. 

To  Messrs.  Fiske  and  Crosby,  the  General  Fire  Ex- 
tinguisher Company,  several  other  sprinkler  companies, 
the  American  District  Telegraph  Company  and  others  the 
writer  is  indebted  for  many  of  the  illustrations.  Much  val- 
uable data  on  English  sprinklers  was  obtained  from  Mather 
&  Platt,  Ltd.,  Londoi^  Agents  for  the  Grinnell  devices. 

It  has  been  very  difficult  in  some  cases  to  verify  the  data 
obtained  from  doubtful  sources  and  for  this  reason  cor- 
rections and  criticisms  will  be  especially  welcomed  by  the 
author.  r_  GORHAM  DANA. 

January,  1914.        w 

In  preparing  the  second  edition  the  text  was  thoroughly 
revised  and  information  on  new  devices  was  added.  New 
chapters  have  also  been  added  on  Combined  ITeat  and 
Sprinkler  Systems  and  Sypho  Chemical  Sprinkler  Sys- 

G.  D. 

May,  1918.  & 


. 


TABLE   OF  CONTENTS 


PAGE 
INTRODUCTION ix 

CHAPTER  I.  —  PERFORATED  PIPES 1 

Francis;  Whiting;  Grinnell;  and  Hall  systems.  Pipe 
scheme.  Defects.  Fire  Record. 

CHAPTER  II.  —  EARLY    AUTOMATIC    SYSTEMS    AND    SPRINK- 
LERS         10 

Godfrey;  Carey;  Congreve;  Macbay;  Pratt;  Souther 
and  Meehan  systems.  Harrison;  Parmelee;  Conant; 
Buell;  Barnes;  Bishop;  Burritt;  Whiting;  Granger; 
Brown;  Mackey;  Harris;  Kane;  Draper;  Walworth; 
Ruthenburg;  Grinnell;  and  other  sprinklers. 

CHAPTER    III.  —  LATER    DEVELOPMENTS    IN    AUTOMATIC 

SPRINKLERS 42 

Types.  Mascot;  Nagle;  Shaw;  Bishop;  Brown;  Buell; 
Star;  Clapp;  Hill;  Gray;  Hibbard;  Harkness;  Kane; 
International;  Associated;  Evans;  Kersteter;  Mackey; 
Manufacturers;  Neracher;  N.  Y.  &  N.  H.;  Newton; 
Phoenix;  Pierce;  Rockwood;  Walworth;  Esty;  Babcock; 
Grinnell;  and  other  sprinklers. 

CHAPTER  IV.  —  TESTS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  SPRINKLERS.  67 
Woodbury  tests.  Sprinkler  solder.  Leakage.  Fire  rec- 
ord. Later  Mutual  tests.  Approved  sprinklers.  Size 
of  orifice.  Failures  from  age.  Limit  of  age.  Corrosion. 
Painting.  Rotating  deflectors.  Valve  discs.  High-test 
heads.  Defective  heads  in  use.  Cost  of  equipments. 
Tests  for  acceptance.  Requirements  for  construction. 
Test  specifications. 

CHAPTER  V.  —  INSTALLATION  RULES 88 

General  information.  Location.  Circulation  in  pipes. 
Service  connections.  Painting.  Hanging  and  piling  of 
stock.  Extra  sprinklers.  Hand  hose.  Spacing.  Pipe 


Vi  CONTENTS 

PAGE 
CHAPTER  VI.  —  LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS 107 

Feed  mains  and  risers.  Valves  and  fittings.  Hangers. 
Test  pipes.  Drip ,  pipes.  Pressure  gages.  Protection 
against  freezing.  Water  supplies.  Waterworks.  Meters. 
Gravity  tanks.  Pressure  tanks.  Steam  pumps.  Ro- 
tary pumps.  Centrifugal  pumps.  Electric  pumps. 
Steamer  connections.  Underground  pipe. 

CHAPTER  VII.  —  ALARM  VALVES 137 

Types.  Installation.  Rules  for  designing  alarm  valves. 
Installation  rules.  Fire  record.  Associated;  Carpenter; 
Crowd er;  Evans;  Gray;  Globe;  Grinnell  angle;  Grinnell 
English;  Grinnell  Straightway;  Harkness  Tee;  Inter- 
national; Manufacturers  or  Venturi;  Neu;  Niagara;  Rock- 
wood;  Wai  worth  alarm  valves. 

CHAPTER  VIII.  —  DRY  VALVES 184 

General  features.  Types.  Installation  rules.  Early 
systems.  Requirements  for  a  dry  valve.  Associated; 
Brown;  Cataract;  Clapp;  Clayton;  Crowder;  Dixon; 
Dodge;  Globe;  Gray;  Grinnell  bellows;  Grinnell  No.  12; 
Grinnell  Straightway;  Hibbard;  Higgins;  Ideal;  Inde- 
pendent; International;  Kane;  Kersteter;  Linn;  Mackey; 
Manufacturers;  Nagle;  Neracher;  Nyasco;  N.  Y.  &  N.  H.; 
Niagara;  Phoenix;  Richmond;  Rockwood;  Shaw;  Steck; 
U.  T.  D. ;  and  Walworth  dry  valves.  Combined  sprinkler 
and  heating  system. 

CHAPTER  IX.  —  SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS 260 

Installation  rules.  Description  of  devices.  Water  flow 
apparatus.  Gate  valve  attachment.  Pressure  indicator. 
Water  level  device.  Temperature  device.  Supervision 
by  water  flow. 

CHAPTER  X.  —  MAINTENANCE  AND  FIRE  RECORD 288 

Inspection  methods  in  use.  Care  of  valves.  Drip  valve 
tests.  Tanks  and  pumps.  Dry  valves  and  alarm  valves. 
Sprinkler  systems.  Tests  of  sprinkler  heads.  Self-in- 
spection. Fire  record.  Important  fires. 

CHAPTER  XI.  —  SPRINKLER  LEAKAGE 310 

What  should  be  inspected.     Policy  form. 


CONTENTS  vii 

PAGE 
CHAPTER  XII.  —  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AS  A  PROTECTION 

TO  LIFE 322 

Record  of  loss  of  life  in  sprinklered  risks.     Need  of  legis- 
lation. 

CHAPTER    XIII.  —  COMBINED    HEAT    AND    SPRINKLER    SYS- 
TEMS       326 

CHAPTER  XIV.  —  SYPHO  CHEMICAL  SPRINKLER  SYSTEM 340 

APPENDIX  I 353 

List  of  over  250  sprinklers  described  and  rated. 
Result  of  tests  on  6277  old  types  of  sprinklers. 

APPENDIX  II 439 

Standard  report  blank  for  Inspection  by  the  assured. 


INTRODUCTION 


AUTOMATIC  sprinklers  have  now  been  on  the  market 
for  over  forty  years  and  while  the  early  types  were  crude 
and  unreliable  they  have  now  been  so  perfected  that 
little  remains  to  be  desired.  The  development  was  due 
largely  to  the  ingenuity  of  a  number  of  inventors,  includ- 
ing Parmelee,  Grinnell,  Barnes,  Bishop,  Buell,  Gray  and 


HENRY  S.  PARMELEE. 


FREDERICK  GRINNELL. 


Kane,  but  also  in  no  small  degree  to  the  work  of  the  fire 
protection  experts  connected  with  the  fire  insurance  com- 
panies. The  thorough  tests  made  in  the  insurance  labora- 
tories, the  advice  given  as  a  result  of  these  tests  and  the 
study  they  involved  were  important  factors  in  the  develop- 
ment. The  rebate  allowed  by  the  insurance  companies 
for  sprinkler  protection  was  undoubtedly  the  most  power- 
ful factor  in  the  growth  of  the  business  and  without  this 
rapid  increase  in  their  use,  the  development  of  the  devices 
would  have  been  much  slower. 

ix 


X  INTRODUCTION 

While  the  first  practical  automatic  sprinkler  was  de- 
signed in  England,  it  may  be  considered  an  American  in- 
vention for  the  first  sprinkler  to  be  used  in  practice  was 
invented  here  .and  most  of  the  early  development  took 
place  in  this  country. 

The  Stock  Insurance  Companies  were  rather  slow  in 
taking  up  the  idea  and  much  of  the  early  development 
is  due  to  the  Associated  Factory  Mutuals  —  a  group  of 
mutual  insurance  companies  devoting  most  of  their  at- 
tention to  large  manufacturing  plants.  The  foresight  of 
their  officials  and  the  exhaustive  tests  made  by  their 
laboratory  staff  did  much  to  bring  the  sprinkler  into 
prominence. 

The  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  comprising 
all  the  leading  Stock  Insurance  Companies  doing  business 
in  this  country,  appointed  a  committee  in  1875  to  report 
on  this  subject.  This  committee  consisted  of  Wm.  H. 
Ross,  John  E.  Kahl,  James  Nichols,  Geo.  P.  Field  and 
John  A.  Child.  The  following  quotation  is  taken  from 
their  able  report: 

"Another  patented  improvement  on  this  principle  comes  up  for 
examination,  viz.  the  Automatic -Fire  Extinguisher  and  Alarm  which 
appears  to  be  nearly  all  that  is  required,  an  apparatus  in  all  places, 
sufficient  in  itself,  always  ready,  always  there  to  act  entirely  by 
itself  and  which  cannot  go  to  sleep  or  make  blunders." 

No  further  action  was  apparently  taken  by  the  Stock 
Companies  for  about  10  years,  although  some  of  the  in- 
dividual companies  did  take  some  interest  in  property  so 
protected.  In  1886  the  New  England  Insurance  Ex- 
change, the  rating  body  for  New  England,  appointed  a 
special  committee  to  report  011  Automatic  Sprinklers. 
As  a  result  of  this  report  the  Factory  Improvement 
Committee  was  appointed  the  same  year  "to  prescribe 
requirements,  approve  devices,  encourage  standard  con- 
struction, and  fix  rates." 


INTRODUCTION  xi 

Mr.  U.  C.  Crosby  of  Boston,  Chairman  of  this  Com- 
mittee was  one  of  the  first  Stock  Company  insurance  rep- 
resentatives to  become  interested  in  the  device  and  his 
work,  together  with  the  valuable  tests  made  by  his  son 
Everett  U.  Crosby  at  the  Underwriters'  Bureau  of  New 
England,  did  much  to  popularize  the  sprinkler  among 
Stock  Companies. 

In  the  early  days,  tests  for  acceptance  were  made  by  a 
number  of  local  boards  and  bureaus  and  different  devices 
were  approved  in  different  parts  of  the  country. 

In  1901  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  Incorporated, 
of  Chicago,  a  corporation  supported  largely  by  the  National 
Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  took  over  practically  all  the 
testing  of  sprinklers  for  the  Stock  Companies.  The 
splendid  work  of  this  organization  has  done  much  to 
bring  automatic  sprinkler  protection  to  its  present  high 
state  of  development. 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


CHAPTER  I 

PERFORATED  PIPE  SYSTEMS 

Francis  System.  The  first  form  of  sprinkler  to  be 
used  in  practice  was  the  perforated  pipe.  These  systems 
were  first  used  in  this  country  about  1852,  the  idea 
having  been  apparently  imported  from  England.  The 
first  installation  on  record  was  made  at  a  plant  of  the  Pro- 
prietors of  the  Locks  and  Canals  on  the  Merrimack  River 
at  Lowell,  Mass.  The  early  equipments  were  installed 
to  protect  the  roofs  of  mill  buildings  only;  but  later 
they  were  extended  to  picker,  card  and  spinning  rooms 
of  textile  mills.  In  1859  the  Locks  and  Canals  Company 
was  requiring  perforated  pipes  in  all  hazardous  and  cer- 
tain inaccessible  rooms  in  their  mills.  Mr.  James  B. 
Francis,  the  hydraulic  engineer  for  this  company,  early 
saw  the  possibilities  of  such  a  system  and  made  experi- 
ments to  determine  the  best  size  and  location  of  per- 
forations; the  proper  size  of  feed  pipes  and  branch 
lines;  and  the  best  location  of  the  pipes.* 

He  developed  a  system  in  which  the  piping  was  placed 
close  to  the  ceiling,  running  across  the  mill  in  the  center 
of  each  bay.  The  pipe  was  perforated  with  holes  TV  inch 
in  diameter,  placed  9  inches  apart  alternately  on  differ- 
ent sides  and  at  a  point  a  little  above  the  horizontal 
center  of  the  pipe.  This  caused  the  water  to  be  dis- 
charged toward  the  ceiling  at  an  angle  which  would 
wet  the  ceiling  to  advantage  as  well  as  properly  cover 
the  floor  below.  In  order  to  reduce  the  friction  loss  of 
the  water  in  the  pipes  it  was  found  necessary  to  grade 

*  See  Journal  of  Franklin  Institute,  April,  1865. 
1 


••,    •    »•  •    •" 

.*2.'  •*': :.;Atnr.9ivfATiGl  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


the  pipe  sizes  so  that  the  area  of  the  cross  section  at  any 
point  was  about  twice  the  area  of  the  perforations  to 
be  supplied.  Such  a  system  under  20  pounds  pressure 
would  discharge  enough  water  to  cover  the  floor  to  a 
depth  of  T\  inch  in  a  minute. 


r 

V     i 

:, 

•o 
-  -                  4 

I 

, 

I 

r 

(V. 

:. 

a- 

•5 

iff 

^ 

COU^U,M«. 

K> 

t' 

i 

I 

1 

ELEVATION 


FRANCIS  SYSTEM 
of  perforated  pipes  installed  by  Providence  Steam  and  Gas  Pipe  Co. 

Prior  to  1870  the  Providence  Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Com- 
pany became  interested  in  fire  protection  ?,ud  began  in- 
stalling the  Francis  system  of  perforated  pipes  in  mill 
property.  Soon  after  1870  the  Francis  system  was,  in 
existing  installations,  very  generally  extended  to  cover 


PERFORATED  PIPE  SYSTEMS 


picker,  card  and  spinning  rooms  as  well  as  other  rooms 
where  processes  of  a  hazardous  nature  were  carried  on. 

The  Boston  Manufacturers  Mutual  Insurance  Com- 
pany bulletin  for  1880  advised  the  Assured  to  make  cer- 


4- 


>F 

* 

1 

-e 

! 

^r? 

i 

« 

i 

§ 

^ 

&-- 

C-J 

.     , 

-  - 

i 

PLAT^THICK. 


GRINNELL  SYSTEM 
of  perforated  pipes  installed  by  Providence  Steam  and  Gas  Pipe  Co. 

tain  that  the  pipe  sizes  of  their  perforated  pipe  systems, 
where  supplied  from  a  reservoir,  were  of  such  a  size 
that  the  area  of  the  orifices  would  not  exceed  50  per 
cent  that  of  the  area  of  the  pipe  that  fed  them;  but 


4  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

that  where  the  supply  was  from  pumps,  the  area  of  the 
orifices  might  be  66  per  cent  that  of  the  area  of  the 
pipe. 

Whiting  System.  Mr.  William  B.  Whiting  modified 
this  system  by  using  holes  TV  inch  in  diameter  and  plac- 
ing them  3  inches  apart  alternately  on  the  top  of  the 
pipe  and  at  a  point  30  degrees  from  the  vertical  on  each 
side.  The  pipes  were  run  across  the  bays  and  under 
the  beams. 

Grinnell  System.  About  1873  the  Providence  Steam 
&  Gas  Pipe  Company  further  modified  the  system  by 
using  holes  -fa  inch  in  diameter  in  three  rows  12  inches 
apart  on  the  row  and  staggered,  so  that  the  holes  were 
4  inches  apart  between  centers  on  the  line  of  pipe.  The 
center  row  of  holes  was  at  the  top  of  the  pipe  and  the 
two  side  rows  were  at  an  angle  of  60°  from  the  vertical. 
Standard  wrought-iron  pipe  was  used  for  all  the  lines 
that  were  perforated.  Boiler  tubing  with  fine  threads 
and  long  bend  fittings  was  used  for  the  feed  pipes. 

In  1875  Frederick  Grinnell,  president  of  the  Providence 
Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Company,  devised  a  countersunk 
orifice  for  the  perforations  which  tended  to  prevent 
clogging  of  the  outlets  by  corrosion.  In  1878  he  still 
further  improved  the  system  by  using  a  non-corrosive 
orifice  consisting  of  a  thin  plate  f  inch  in  diameter  and 
^3  inch  thick  with  a  ^-inch  hole  in  the  center.  This 
was  placed  over  the  outlets  in  the  pipe  and  held  by 
being  peened  into  the  pipe  with  a  hammer. 

Hall  System.  Between  1870  and  1875  there  was  con- 
siderable competition  in  the  business  and  Hall  Brothers 
of  Boston  began  to  install  systems  where  the  perforated 
pipes  were  of  galvanized  sheet  metal  with  slip  joints 
similar  to  stovepipe  joints.  These  were  attached  to 
wrought-iron  feed  pipes.  This  made  a  cheap  installa- 
tion but  the  sheet-iron  pipe  was  not  well  suited  to  with- 
stand severe  corrosion  or  heavy  pressure.  Many  of 


PERFORATED  PIPE  SYSTEMS  5 

the  joints  pulled  out  under  pressure  and  the  system  was 
soon  given  up. 

Pipe  Scheme.  In  all  these  systems  the  general  scheme 
of  piping  was  the  same.  Starting  at  one  end  of  a -room 
the  piping  was  run  in  parallel  lines  10  feet  or  less  apart 
beginning  with  f-inch  pipe  and  gradually  enlarging  so 
that  the  diameter  of  the  pipe  at  any  point  would  com- 
ply with  the  rules  given  above.  These  lines  of  pipe 
connected  with  a  feed  pipe  which  in  turn  was  enlarged 
until  the  riser  or  upright  pipe  feeding  the  entire  floor 
was  reached.  This  riser  passed  down  through  the  floors 
or  on  the  outside  of  the  building  to  a  controlling 
valve. 

Each  floor  had  a  separate  riser  and  controlling  valve. 
These  valves  were  located  in  a  group,  each  one  being 
labelled,  showing  which  floor  or  section  it  controlled. 
In  the  best  laid  out  systems  these  valves  were  housed 
in  a  valve  house  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  mill  building. 
The  valves  being  underground  were  operated  by  hand 
wheels  on  a  spindle  and  a  light  was  constantly  kept  burn- 
ing so  that  the  labels  could  be  quickly  read.  In  other 
systems  the  valves  were  either  in  the  building  or  on  the 
outside  according  to  the  location  of  the  risers.  Some- 
times the  valve  stem  extended  through  the  wall.  Where 
the  valves  were  in  stair  towers  the  arrangement  was 
much  safer  than  where  they  were  in  the  main  building. 
Any  location  except  the  detached  valve  house  was  unde- 
sirable and  this  defect  of  location  was  the  cause  of  many 
failures,  owing  to  the  impossibility  of  reaching  the  valves 
after  the  fire  was  discovered.  The  valves  were,  of 
course,  kept  closed  and  in  well  laid  out  systems  the  water 
was  under  constant  pressure  in  the  pipes  up  to  those 
controlling  valves. 

If  there  was  a  hydrant  system  in  the  yard  the  per- 
forated pipe  system  could  be  connected  with  the  hydrant 
piping  provided  it  was  of  sufficient  size  and  capacity, 


6  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

care  being  taken  to  keep  all  piping  up  to  the  valves 
below  frost  line. 

The  water  supplies  used  were  generally  reservoirs  or 
pumps,  but  sometimes  public  waterworks  systems  and 
elevated  tanks  were  used.  Where  elevated  tanks  were 
used  it  was  quite  necessary  to  have  pumps  in  reserve 
in  order  to  obtain  sufficient  capacity  to  supply  the 
system  for  any  length  of  time.  Systems  depending 
upon  pumps  alone  were  not  as  desirable  on  account  of 
the  delay  that  would  probably  be  experienced  in  start- 
ing the  pumps. 

The  operation  of  the  system  was  as  follows:  When  a 
fire  was  discovered  at  any  particular  point  the  valve  con- 
trolling that  floor  and  section  was  opened.  The  water 
issued  from  the  perforations  in  the  pipe,  flooding  the 
entire  floor.  If  the  fire  spread  to  another  floor  the 
valve  for  that  floor  could  be  opened,  although  the  water 
supply  was  not  always  sufficient  to  supply  many  floors 
at  once. 

Defects.  A  very  undesirable  feature  of  a  system  of 
this  kind  was  the  fact  that  the  water  was  not  concen- 
trated where  needed  but  would  wet  down  the  whole 
floor  irrespective  of  the  extent  of  the  fire.  This  not 
only  caused  a  heavy  water  damage  in  locations  where 
no  fire  existed  but  it  wasted  the  water  so  there  was  often 
not  enough  available  at  the  seat  of  the  fire. 

Another  feature  was  the  possible  clogging  of  the  per- 
forations by  rust,  paint  and  sediment.  Pipe  scale  is 
very  apt  to  form  on  the  inside  of  wrought-iron  pipe, 
which  washed  along  by  the  current  of  water  may  readily 
clog  any  holes  as  small  as  these.  Such  a  system  could 
not  ordinarily  be  tested  on  account  of  the  heavy  water 
damage  that  would  result.  It  was  therefore- impossible 
to  determine  accurately  whether  or  not  the  orifices  were 
in  a  condition  to  properly  discharge  water.  This  feature 
did  not  apparently  cause  much  trouble  in  practice  and 


PERFORATED  PIPE  SYSTEMS  7 

was  improved  in  some  of  the  later  equipments  by  drill- 
ing the  holes  larger  than  the  size  desired  and  inserting 
brass  bushings  with  orifices  of  the  proper  size.  This 
tended  to  prevent  corrosion  at  the  outlets  and  made 
them  less  liable  to  be  clogged  by  paint. 

Trouble  occasionally  occurred  from  a  perforated  pipe 
valve  being  opened,  through  error  or  malice,  thus  caus- 
ing great  water  damage.  Then  again  the  valves  some- 
times leaked,  thus  allowing  the  water  to  fill  the  pipes 
gradually  and  cause  damage  either  by  wetting  down 
the  building  or  by  freezing  and  breaking  the  pipes. 
This  trouble  was  overcome  in  many  systems  by  putting 
a  small  pet  cock  in  the  pipe  just  above  the  controlling 
valve  and  keeping  it  open.  This  allowed  the  leakage 
from  the  valve  to  waste  away  at  a  safe  point  and  yet 
did  not  allow  too  much  water  to  be  lost  when  the  system 
was  put  into  operation. 

Perhaps  the  most  unsatisfactory  feature  of  these 
systems  as  compared  with  automatic  sprinkler  systems 
was  the  fact  that  they  were  not  automatic  in  action. 
In  many  of  the  fires  that  occurred  in  mills  so  equipped, 
the  valves  were  either  forgotten  or  were  not  opened  soon 
enough  so  that  the  equipment  failed  to  hold  the  fire. 

In  rooms  where  corrosive  vapors  were  present,  Mr. 
Wm.  B.  Whiting  used  brass  rosettes  or  rose  sprinklers 
attached  to  the  pipes  instead  of  perforations  in  the  pipe 
itself.  These  were  placed  about  10  feet  apart,  in  much 
the  same  way  as  in  modern  automatic  sprinkler  systems. 
The  rosettes  consisted  of  perforated  brass  caps  similar 
to  watering-pot  nozzles  but  with  somewhat  larger  holes. 
A  cap  without  perforations  fitted  loosely  over  the 
rosette  thus  protecting  it  from  dust  and  corrosion. 
When  the  water  was  turned  on,  the  pressure  forced  off 
the  outer  cap  and  the  water  was  distributed  through 
the  holes  in  the  rosette. 

Perforated  pipe  systems  in  spite  of  their  many  defects 


8  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

were  quite  extensively  used  from  1852  until  about  1885 
especially  in  the  New  England  cotton  mills  insured  in  the 
Factory  Mutuals.  Insurance  Companies.  They  were  a 
considerable  factor  in  fire  protection  until  about  1875, 
and  while  they  have  practically  disappeared  from  mill 
property  they  are  still  used  to  some  extent  in  New  York 
City.  Though  in  many  cases  they  failed  to  control 
the  fire,  they  were  at  times  quite  successful.  A  brief 
description  of  a  few  fires,  taken  from  the  valuable  book 
compiled  by  Mr.  E.  V.  French  in  commemoration  of 
the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  Arkwright  Mutual  Fire 
Insurance  Company,  will  give  an  idea  of  the  practical 
value  of  the  device. 

Fire  Record.  In  1885  a  large  fire  occurred  in  the 
plant  of  the  Plymouth  Cordage  Company,  Plymouth, 
Mass.  Mill  No.  1  was  equipped  with  perforated  pipe 
sprinklers  and  these  were  successfully  used,  assisting 
greatly  in  saving  the  mill.  The  fire  started  in  the  picker 
house,  which  was  just  being  equipped  with  automatic 
sprinklers,  and  burned  this,  together  with  Mill  No.  3, 
which  was  so  equipped. 

A  fire  in  the  Cocheco  Mfg.  Co.,  Dover,  N.  H.,  in  1887, 
started  in  a  cloth  drier  and  spread  so  rapidly  that  the 
employees  had  barely  time  to  get  out.  There  were  per- 
forated pipes  in  the  attic  only.  These  were  apparently 
of  some  value  although  the  fire  was  finally  extinguished 
by  hose  streams.  The  loss  was  about  $170,000. 

At  a  fire  in  the  Border  City  Mill  in  Fall  River  in  1877, 
the  perforated  pipe  system  was  turned  on  but  no  water 
was  delivered.  It  was  afterwards  found  that  there 
was  another  valve  in  the  pipe  back  of  the  controlling 
valve  and  that  this  was  closed.  This  was  a  good  exam- 
ple of  the  need  of  carefully  laying  out  such  a  system  with 
as  few  valves  as  possible  and  of  having  all  valves  up  to 
the  controlling  valve  kept  open  at  all  times.  The  loss 
was  $398,000. 


PERFORATED  PIPE  SYSTEMS  9 

Another  fire  occurred  in  the  Flint  Mill,  Fall  River,  in 
1882,  starting  in  the  engine  room  and  spreading  rapidly 
through  beltways  to  all  floors.  The  perforated  pipes 
covering  the  three  upper  floors  were  put  into  use  but 
failed  to  hold  the  fire  as  the  large  number  of  floor 
equipments  used  at  the  same  time  overtaxed  the  water 
supply.  The  mill  was  destroyed  with  a  loss  of  about 
$569,000. 

At  a  fire  in  the  Sagamore  Mfg.  Co.,  Fall  River,'  in 
1884,  the  perforated  pipe  system  was  ineffective  as  the 
fire  started  in  the  basement  and  quickly  spread  to  the 
tower  where  the  valves  were  located  so  that  they  could 
not  be  opened.  A  similar  case  occurred  at  the  Dunnell 
Mfg.  Co.,  Pawtucket,  in  1890. 


CHAPTER  II 

EARLY  AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLERS  AND 
SYSTEMS 

An  automatic  sprinkler  may  be  denned  as  a  device 
that  when  heated  to  a  predetermined  point  will  auto- 
matically release  and  distribute  a  stream  of  water.  In 
all  modern  sprinkler  heads  this  releasing  is  accomplished 
by  the  melting  of  low-fusing  solder  which  is  used  in  the 
construction  of  the  device.  In  some  of  the  older  types 
of  heads  the  releasing  was  accomplished  in  other  ways, 
such  as  by  the  burning  of  a  cord,  the  explosion  of  gun- 
powder, the  expansion  of  a  volatile  liquid  in  a  closed 
receptacle  or  the  expansion  of  wax.  None  of  these  de- 
vices however,  except  those  depending  upon  the  melting 
of  solder,  have  been  of  any  importance  in  a  commercial 
sense.  While  therefore  the  main  principle  underlying 
all  successful  automatic  sprinklers  has  been  essentially 
the.  same,  the  details  of  construction  have  varied  so 
widely  that  one  can  hardly  recognize  any  resemblance 
between  some  of  the  types. 

The  time  spent  and  the  ingenuity  displayed  in  the 
invention  of  sprinkler  heads  has  been  prodigious.  The 
patent  records  show  that  over  450  patents  have  been 
taken  out  in  the  United  States  since  1872,  and  there 
have  probably  been  a  great  many  more  invented  that 
were  never  patented.  Yet  out  of  this  vast  array  there 
are  today  on  the  approved  list  of  the  National  Board  of 
Fire  Underwriters  only  11  heads  and  of  these  but  5  or 
6  are  being  extensively  used.  There  are  a  large  number 
that  have  been  quite  generally  and  successfully  used  in 
years  past  but  that  have  been  superseded  by  improved 
types  and  gradually  eliminated  from  use. 

10 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     11 


AUTOMATIC   SYSTEMS 

Godfrey.  The  first  automatic  fire  extinguisher  of 
which  we  have  any  record  was  patented  in  England  in 
1723  by  Ambrose  Godfrey,  a  celebrated  chemist.  It 
consisted  of  a  cask  of  fire-extinguishing  liquid  containing 
a  pewter  chamber  of  gunpowder.  This  was  connected 
with  a  system  of  fuses  which  were  ignited,  exploding  the 
gunpowder  and  scattering  the  solution.  In  the  quaint 
old  patent  record  the  inventor  says,  "  the  said  vessells 
so  filled  and  prepared  ...  to  be  made  use  of  by  firing 
the  said  fuse  and  then  flinging  the  said  vessell  into  the 
place  where  the  fire  is  broke  out,  which  upon  the  ex- 
plosion of  the  gunpowder,  blasts  out  all  the  flame,  and 
the  water  or  other  ingredients  which  were  in  the  vessell 
are  forcibly  driven  by  the  gunpowder  against  the  parts 
that  were  on  fire,  and  do  damp  and  suffocate  the  same 
so  effectually  that  any  man  may  safely  enter  the  place, 
and  with  the  proper  implements  may  totally  extinguish 
the  remaining  fire."  This  device  was  probably  used 
to  a  limited  extent,  as  Bradley's  Weekly  Messenger  for 
November  7,  1729,  refers  to  its  efficiency  in  stopping  a 
fire  in  London. 

Carey.  The  first  automatic  device  using  water 
through  a  system  of  pipes  appears  to  have  been  invented 
by  John  Carey  in  1806.  The  device  was  for  "  the  ex- 
tinguishment of  fires  in  gentlemen's  apartments  and 
warehouses,  etc.,"  although  there  seems  to  be  no  reason 
why  it  could  not  have  been  used  in  more  hazardous  places. 
It  consisted  of  a  number  of  rose  or  perforated  sprinklers 
connected  to  pipes  supplied  with  water  from  an  elevated 
tank.  There  was  a  valve  in  the  main  pipe  normally 
closed  but  connected  to  a  system  of  cords  and  weights 
in  such  a  manner  that  in  case  the  cord  was  burned  the 
valve  would  be  opened  by  a  counterweight.  This  was 
a  very  crude  and  impractical  device,  for  the  stretching 


12  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

of  the  cord  would  probably  have  caused  the  valve  to 
leak,  unless,  as  was  quite  likely  to  be  the  case,  the  valve 
became  stuck  in  place  so  that  it  would  neither  leak  nor 
open. 

Congreve.  In  1809  Sir  William  Congreve,  a  hy- 
draulic engineer  and  Member  of  Parliament,  further 
developed  this  idea  and  patented  a  sprinkler  system 
consisting  of  rose  sprinklers  with  combustible  cords  lead- 
ing to  valves  in  a  place  of  "  outside  security  and  arrange- 
ments for  a  further  supply  of  water  by  water  mains  or 
hose  connections  to  fire  engines."  In  1812  he  substi- 
tuted for  burning  cords,  a  cement  fusible  at  110  degrees 
or  less.  The  patent  described  an  automatic  sprinkler 
as  "an  apparatus  for  extinguishing  fires  which  shall  be 
called  into  action  by  the  fire  itself  at  its  first  breaking 
out  and  which  shall  be  brought  to  bear  upon  the  precise 
part  where  the  flames  exist."  Apparently  the  mechan- 
ical details  were  not  worked  out  in  a  way  which  would 
realize  this  much  to  be  desired  result.  This  patent 
included  an  alarm  attachment  operated  by  the  dropping 
of  a  weight. 

Smith.  Other  systems  operating  upon  the  same  gen- 
eral principle  were  patented  in  England  in  1855  by 
James  Smith  who  employed  burning  cords  or  gutta 
percha  as  a  releasing  agent.  He  also  stated  that  "  wire 
fusible  at  a  low  temperature  or  lime  chemically  prepared 
to  render  it  easily  ignitable  may  be  employed  for  the 
same  purpose." 

In  1861  Lewis  Roughton  invented  a  system  which 
used  fusible  metal;  and  in  1863  Roger  Dawson  used  per- 
forated pipes  with  rose  or  fan-tail  outlets. 

Macbay.  In  1852  William  Macbay  patented  a  de- 
vice which  more  closely  resembled  the  automatic  sprink- 
ler. It  consisted  of  a  system  of  piping  having  outlets 
closed  by  caps  of  fusible  metal,  gutta  percha  or  other 
substances  that  would  melt  at  a  low  temperature. 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     13 


Pratt.  The  first  patent  upon  an  automatic  sprinkler 
system  in  this  country  was  apparently  the  one  taken  out 
in  1872  by  Philip  W.  Pratt  of  Abington,  Mass.  This 
device  consisted  of  two  revolving  hollow  arms  containing 
perforations.  These  arms  were  attached  to  a  pipe  con- 
taining water  under  pressure  and  there  was  a  valve 
just  above  the  connec- 
tion ordinarily  kept 
closed.  There  was  a 
systemt  of  cords  and 
fuses  attached  to  the 
valve  in  such  a  way 
that  when  any  fuse 
melted  the  valve  was 
opened. 

Souther.      In    1872 
John  Souther  of  Boston 
advocated     an     auto- 
matic fire  extinguisher  PRATT  SpRINKLER  SYSTEM. 
consisting  of  perforated       Af  vaive.  B,  cord.  C,  distributor, 
brass  steam  pipes. 

Steam  was  turned  on  automatically  by  the  expansion  of 
the  pipe  or  by  the  burning  of  cords.  A  steam  whistle 
was  sounded  at  the  same  time. 

Meehan.  In  April,  1873,  J.  C.  Meehan  of  Spring- 
field, Mass.,  patented  an  automatic  steam  sprinkler 
operated  by  fuses  running  to  a  small  cylinder  of  gun- 
powder. When  this  exploded  a  valve  was  opened. 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  HEADS 

Harrison.  The  first  automatic  sprinkler  head,  as  the 
term  is  used  today,  was  undoubtedly  invented  by  Major 
.A.  Stewart  Harrison  of  the  First  Engineer  London  Volun- 
teers in  1864.  While  this  device  was  never  patented  and 
was  never  apparently  put  upon  the  market,  it  not  only 


14 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Rubber  Valve 


showed  a  very  marked  advance  in  the  art  but  was  actu- 
ally superior  to  the  devices  that  followed  it  for  several 
years.  The  head  consisted  of  a  hollow  brass  casting 
shaped  like  a  flattened  sphere  with  an  internal  diameter 
of  3  inches.  This  contained  a  large  number  of  counter- 
sunk holes  TV  inch  in  diameter,  located  J  to  J  inch  apart. 

At  the  upper;  end,  the  head 
contracted  into  a  cylinder 
1  inch  in  diameter  threaded 
on  the  outside  so  that  it 
could  be  screwed  into  a  pipe. 
Inside  of  this  was  a  valve 
in  the  form  of  a  cup-shaped 
piece  of  soft  rubber  which 
when  closed  held  back  the 
water.  The  inside  of  the 
head  at  this  point  was 
tinned  to  prevent  the  rub- 
ber from  sticking  to  the 
brass.  The  valve  being  of 

rubber  and  cup-shaped,  the  water  tended  to  make  the 
joint  tighter  as  the  pressure  increased.  The  valve  was 
held  in  place  by  a  spindle  which  extended  down  through 
the  head  and  through  a  wooden  projection  on  the  under 
side,  to  a  shoulder  at  the  lower  extremity.  Here  it  was 
held  by  low-fusing  solder  under  compression.  The 
wooden  projection  was  put  on,  in  order  to  insulate  the 
solder  joint  from  the  brass  casting  and  make  the  head 
more  sensitive  to  heat.  When  the  solder  fused,  the 
spindle  and  valve  were  pushed  down  by  the  water  pres- 
sure and  the  water  was  discharged  through  the  per- 
forations. 

The  particular  features  in  which  this  head  -urpassed 
many  that  followed  it  were  as  follows: 

1.   A  cup-shaped  rubber  valve  that  tended  to  tighten 
under  pressure. 


Wood 

Solder 

HARRISON  SPRINKLER. 
(Section.) 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     15 

2.  A  solder  joint  insulated  from  the  brass  casting  and 
from  the  piping  by  a  gpod  non-conducting  material. 

3.  A  valve  that  had  to  slide  a  short  distance  before 
any  water  could  be  discharged,  thus  tending  to  prevent 
a  small  stream  of  water  from  being  discharged  before 
the  solder  joint  had  fully  parted  and  chilling  or  "  freez- 
ing "  the  solder  so  that  the  head  would  not  open  fully. 

4.  Low-fusing  solder  under  compression  rather  than 
tension  or  shearing  strain. 

This  last  point  is  important  from  the  fact  that  sprink- 
ler solder  melting  at  a  low  temperature  is  subject  to 
cold  flow  and  is  not  well  adapted  to  withstand,  for  a 
long  continued  period,  either  heavy  tension  or  shearing 
strains.  , 

The  only  serious  defects  in  this  remarkable  sprinkler 
were  the  distribution,  which  is  never  satisfactory  from 
a  rose  or  perforated  head;  the  possibility  of  the  holes 
becoming  clogged  with  pipe  scale  and  sediment;  and 
the  soft  rubber  valve  which  would  only  last  a  few  years 
before  becoming  hard  and  brittle.  Major  Harrison 
planned  to  overcome  the  last  trouble  by  replacing  the 
valves  every  two  or  three  years. 

It  was  planned  to  install  these  heads  in  much  the 
same  way  that  sprinklers  are  installed  today,  spacing 
them  6  to  10  feet  apart  according  to  the  combustibility 
of  the  contents  of  room  to  be  protected,  and  attaching 
them  to  the  under  side  of  pipes  fed  by  an  elevated  tank. 
The  inventor  also  planned  an  alarm  valve  in  the  system 
actuated  by  the  flow  of  water  when  a  head  operated. 

The  Harrison  head  was  of  the  so-called  "  sensitive  " 
type,  as  distinguished  from  the  "  sealed  "  or  water-joint 
sprinkler.  That  is,  the  solder  joint  was  not  in  contact 
with  the  water  in  the  pipes  as  was  the  case  in  most  of 
the  early  sprinklers.  In  the  "  sealed  "  type  the  water 
in  the  pipes  and  the  piping  nearby  has  to  be  heated 
nearly  to  the  melting  point  of  the  solder  before  the  head 


16  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

can  open.  This  makes  them  much  slower  in  operation 
than  those  of  the  sensitive  type. 

Major  Harrison's  sprinkler  was  far  in  advance  of  its 
time  and  it  is  surprising  that  it  was  not  imitated  more 
closely  by  other  sprinkler  inventors  who  followed  him. 

Parmelee.  To  Mr.  Henry  S.  Parmelee  of  New 
Haven,  Conn.,  belongs  the  credit  of  inventing  the  first 
automatic  sprinkler  head  to  be  used  extensively  in  prac- 
tice. It  is  said  that  Mr.  Parmelee  objected  to  the  high 
rates  of  insurance  charged  for  his  piano  factory  after 
the  Chicago  and « Boston  conflagrations  and  that  he 
determined  to  find  some  form  of  protection  that  would 
warrant  a  reduction  in  rate. 

His  first  idea  was  a  sprinkler  depending  upon  the 
burning  of  a  cord.  This,  however,  was  apparently  given 
up  after  a  conference  with  Mr.  Foskett  of  Messrs. 
Foskett,  Bishop  &  Co.,  New  Haven.  In  the  words  of 
Mr.  Rounds,  Secretary  of  the  Company: 

"  Mr.  Henry  Parmelee  visited  the  shop  one  morning 
and  exhibited  his  sprinkler,  which  contained  a  spring, 
to  Mr.  Foskett.  Mr.  Foskett  .  .  .  told  him  that  his 
idea  of  having  a  releasing  device,  consisting  of  a  jute 
or  tow  string,  made  it  necessary  for  a  flame  to  be  present, 
and  in  his  opinion  an  automatic  sprinkler  should  be 
operated  by  heat  as  well  as  flame,  and  suggested  to  him 
that  if  he  would,  wait  a  few  minutes  he  would  make  him 
a  sprinkler  and,  with  his  own  hands,  turned  a  cap  and 
attached  it  to  a  rose  head  by  means  of  fusible  solder." 

Mr.  Parmelee  took  out  his  first  patent  in  August, 
1874.  This  covered  a  device  which  consisted  of  a  per- 
forated head  containing  a  valve  which  was  held  closed 
against  water  pressure  by  a  heavy  spring.  This  spring 
was  held  in  place  by  two  eyes  made  of  low-f vising  mate- 
rial. These  eyes  were  protected  from  water  thrown  from 
the  other  sprinklers  by  a  hood.  The  device  was  greatly 
complicated  by  an  auxiliary  valve  in  the  main  supply 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     17 

pipe  which  shut  off  the  water  supply  from  the  head  so 
that  when  it  first  opened  it  was  fed  only  by  a  small 


PARMELEE  "A"  SPRINKLER. 


auxiliary  pipe.  This  valve  was  then  automatically 
opened  by  the  dropping  of  a  piston  which  was  ordinarily 
held  up  by  the  water  pressure  in  the  small  pipe. 


PARMELEE  SPRINKLER  1. 
A,  fusible  link. 

This  sprinkler  was  of  the  sensitive  or  non-water-joint 
type  and  was  so  far  as  known  never  used  in  practice. 


18 


AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


The  first  sprinkler  which  had  actual  use  in  his  factory 
was  of  radically  different  design.  It  consisted  of  a 
perforated  distributor  and  a  valve,  the  valve  being  held 
in  place  by  a  spindle  which  rested  against  a  lever.  One 
end  of  the  lever  was  pivoted  and  the  other  was  attached 
to  the  casting  with  a  heavy  spring  and  fusible  link. 


PARMELEE  3. 
(Section.) 

This  design  was  changed  a  little  later 
so  that  the  valve  was  held  in  place 
with  a  wood  strut  bearing  at  the 
upper  end  against  a  fusible  washer. 
In  1875  an  entirely  new  type  was 
developed  in  which  a  brass  cap  was 
soldered  over  a  distributor. 

This  was  one  of  the  simplest  sprinklers  ever  made 
but  was  not  as  sensitive  as  the  previous  type  because 
water  rested  against  the  inside  of  the  solder  joint.  This 
head  was  designed  to  screw  onto  a,  nipple  and  was 
threaded  on  the  inside. 

In  1878  the  sprinkler  was  further  modified  by  sub- 
stituting a  rotating  slotted  turbine  for  the  perforated 


PARMELEE  SPRINK- 
LER 2. 

E,  distributor.   B, 
fusible  washer. 


EARLY   AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     19 


PARMELEE  4. 


Fig.  i. 


Fig.  2, 


ACTUAL  SIZE.  ACTUAL  SIZE, 

PARMELEE  5. 


20  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

distributor,  thus  improving  the  distribution  and  giving 
less  chance  for  clogging  by  sediment.  The  same  year 
the  head  was  redesigned  by  Mr.  Grinnell  and  made 
more  sensitive  by  hollowing  out  the  base  so  that  much 
less  of  the  solder  joint  was  in  contact  with  the  water 
in  the  pipes.  It  was  also  threaded  on  the  outside  to 
fit  a  i-inch  pipe  fitting. 

These  heads  were  screwed  into  the*  upper  side  of  pipes 
suspended  from  the  ceiling  and  spaced  about  10  feet 
apart  in  each  direction.  When  the  head  and  the  piping 
became  heated  to  the  fusing  point  of  the  solder  (about 
160°  Fahr.)  the  pressure  would  force  the  cap  off  from 
the  head  and  water  would  be  distributed  by  the  revolv- 
ing turbine. 

The  method  of  piping  originated  by  Mr.  Parmelee 
and  used  for  many  years  in  his  systems  was  the  so-called 
"  tree "  system.  The  main  feed  pipes  were  placed 
about  20  feet  apart  and  the  branch  lines  were  of  f-inch 
pipe  5  feet  long  spaced  about  10  feet  apart  on  the  feed 
pipe.  This  brought  the  heads  about  10  feet  apart  in 
each  direction.  This  plan  was  developed  so  that  each 
sprinkler  would  be  on  a  dead  end  and  would  not  be 
cooled  by  water  flowing  past  it  in  case  of  fire.  In  mill 
construction  the  feed  pipes  usually  ran  across  the  tim- 
bers and  the  branch  lines  ran  along  the  center  of  each 
bay.  The  feed  pipe  was  enlarged  where  the  branch 
lines  connected  so  as  to  give  enough  capacity  to  feed 
practically  all  the  heads  on  a  floor  at  once. 

Instead  of  a  riser  for  each  floor,  as  in  the  perforated 
pipe  systems,  one  riser  was  sufficient  for  all  floors  and 
it  was  large  enough  to  feed  the  greatest  number  of  heads 
on  any  one  floor.  This  was  done  on  the  theory  that 
only  one  floor  would  be  on  fire  at  a  time  and  this  same 
principle  is  in  use  today. 

The  Parmelee  system  also  contemplated  an  alarm 
valve  which  would  operate  a  -bell  or  a  whistle  in  case  one 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     21 

or  more  sprinklers  opened.  This  consisted  of  a  flapper 
check  valve  placed  in  the  main  riser  near  its  base. 
A  lever  connected  with  the  hinged  end  of  the  check 
extended  through  a  stuffing  box  and  was  connected  by 
a  wire  to  a  steam  whistle  or  to  a  mechanical  gong. 
When  the  check  valve  was  lifted  by  the  flowage  of 
water  the  steam  whistle  or  the  gong  was  put  into  oper- 
ation. 

This  system  was  first  installed  by  the  piping  firm  of 
Foskett,  Bishop  &  Co.,  of  New  Haven,  Conn.  The  first 
regular  installation,  outside  of  an  experimental  one  in 
the  plant  of  the  Parmelee  Piano  Works,  was  in  the 
risk  of  M.  Seward  &  Son,  New  Haven,  Conn.  Later 
Mr.  Parmelee  made  arrangements  with  the  Providence 
Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Company  for  installing  this  system, 
and  this  company  continued  to  install  these  heads  until 
about  1882  when  Mr.  Frederick  Grinnell  invented  an 
improved  type  of  sprinkler  which  bears  his  name. 

It  is  said  that  some  200,000  of  these  Parmelee  heads 
were  installed,  mostly  in  mills  located  in  New  England. 
The  Parmelee  catalogue  for  1881  gives  a  list  of  214  plants 
equipped  with  the  device.  Of  these  140  were  in  New 
England,  17  in  New 
York,  14  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  the  rest 
scattered  through  the 
southern  states  and 
Canada.  This  cata- 
logue also  gives  a  list 

of  19  fires  successfully  BRQ^N  AND  FQ;KETT  SPRINKLEB< 
controlled  by  these  AjVaJvedisc.  B,  releasing  device, 
heads  between  1877  c,  distributor, 

and  1881. 

Brown  and  Foskett.  J.  R.  Brown  and  Wm.  A.  Fos- 
kett of  New  Haven,  Conn.,  took  out  a  patent  in  August, 
1875,  for  a  sprinkler  of  the  sensitive  type.  It  was  an 


22 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


elbow  head  with  a  valve  in  the  horizontal  pipe  to  which 
the  rose  sprinkler  pointing  up  was  attached.  The 
valve  was  held  closed  by  a  piston  extending  through 
packing  and  released  by  the  fusing  of  solder.  There 
was  also  a  spring  to  assist  opening  the  valve  when  the 
water  pressure  was  light. 


Top  View 

CONANT  SPRINKLER. 

Conant.  In  the  same  month  Hezekiah  Conant  of 
Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  patented  a  crude  and  carubersome 
device  consisting  of  a  globe  valve  A,  held  closed  against 
the  water  pressure  in  the  pipe.  The  stem  B  of  the 
valve  extended  through  a  stuffing  box  C  for  some  dis- 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     23 

tance,  terminating  in  a  short  cross  arm  E.  It  was  held 
in  place  by  light  cords  or  cotton  skeins  F  wound  around 
the  cross  arm  and  a  corresponding  projection  G  on  the 
other  side  of  the  head.  When  this  cord  burned  the 
water  pressure  opened  the  valve  and  water  was  dis- 
charged through  a  spherical  distributor  D  filled  with 
holes. 

In  a  later  type  a  manual  attachment  in  the  form  of  a 
knife  blade  was  added.  This  blade  was  attached  to  a 
pivoted  arm  from  which  hung  a  cord  that  could  be 
reached  from  the  floor.  When  it  was  desired  to  open 
the  head  by  hand  the  cord  was  pulled  and  the  knife 
blade  was  drawn  across  the  cord,  cutting  it  and  releasing 
the  valve. 

This  type  of  head  was  installed  in  the  plant  of  the 
Conant  Thread  Company  at  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  but  prob- 
ably nowhere  else.  It  was  one  of  the  largest  sprinklers 
ever  put  on  the  market  and  weighed  2  pounds  15  ounces. 
Like  the  majority  of  the  earlier  heads  its  most  undesir- 
able feature  was  the  possibility  of  sticking  at  the  valve. 
One  of  these  heads  was  taken  apart  about  25  years  after 
it  was  made  and  the  valve  was  found  stuck  so  hard  that 
it  was  very  difficult  to  loosen  it.  No  head  having  the 
valve  spindle  passing  through  a  stuffing  box  can  be 
depended  upon  to  work  properly  for  many  years. 

Buell.  Mr.  Charles  E.  Buell  invented  a  sprinkler 
that  was  made  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  in  1873.  A  few 
of  these  were  installed  in  the  shop  of  James  Buel,  Woburn, 
Mass.,  in  September,  1881.  This  was  probably  the  first 
head  of  the  sensitive  type  to  be  put  into  practical  use. 
It  was  also  said  to  be  the  first  head  to  use  the  modern 
principle  of  distributing  water  coming  through  an  open 
outlet  by  means  of  a  splash  plate  or  deflector.  To  quote 
Mr.  Buell:  "The  sprinkler  with  the  spring  strap,  like 
sugar  tongs,  was  the  first  of  its  class  and  was  made  first 
in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  in  1873.  It  comprises  a  valve 


24 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


closing  the  otherwise  open  outlet  in  a  manner  to  be 
discharged  without  any  friction.  The  spring  strap  is, 
like  the  sugar  tongs,  a  lever  of  the  third  class  and  by 
leverage  removes  strain  from  the  film  of  solder  that  in 
turn  is  removed  from  the  chill  of  the  water.  The  spring 
of  the  strap  gives  a  thrust  to  the  releas- 
ing parts  and  with  the  exception  of  not 
being  as  conveniently  put  in  place,  this 
form  will  do  all  that  modern  sprinklers 
will  do."  This,  says  Mr.  Buell,  was 
the  first  of  the  class  of  open  outlet 
sprinklers  and  the  first  to  deliver  a 
stream  of  water  against  a  deflector 
secured  in  front  of  the  outlet. 

This  sprinkler  was  of  the  elbow  type, 
that  is,  it  was  designed  to  screw  into 
the  side  of  a  pipe,  and  the  water  turn- 
ing a  right  angle  was  distributed  on 
a  splash  plate  at  the  lower  side.  The 
outlet  was  closed  by  a  round  metal  cap 
BUELL  SPRINKLER,  containing  a  lead  washer.  This  was 

A,  valve  cap.         held  against  the  outlet  by  a  screw  pass- 

B,  solder  joint.       mg  through  a  small  hole  in  the  deflector 
'    '  and  fastened  to  the  sugar-tong  spring. 

This  spring  was  of  thin  brass  and  extended  up  over 
the  body  of  the  sprinkler.  Here  the  two  ends  were 
soldered  together  with  low-fusing  solder  but  the  joint 
was  insulated  from  the  body  of  the  head  by  a  thin  strip 
of  wood.  The  deflector  was  a  thin  brass  plate  about 
1J  inches  in  diameter,  held  in  front  of  the  orifice  by  two 
arms  extending  out  from  the  lower  side  of  the  head. 

This  head,  while  crude  in  design,  contained,  like  the 
Harrison  head,  many  advanced  principles  and  theoret- 
ically at  least  was  superior  to  many  heads  that  followed  it. 

Barnes.  Mr.  Charles  Barnes  of  Cincinnati  was  one 
of  the  group  of  early  inventors  in  this  field.  He  patented 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLERS  AND   SYSTEMS     25 


his  first  sprinkler  head  in  1879.     This  was  of  the  sensi- 
tive type  and  somewhat  resembled  the  Harrison  sprink- 
ler although  it  lacked  many  of  the  good  features  of  the 
latter.    It  consisted  of  a  hollow  brass 
casting  perforated  with  small  holes 
and  with  the  valve  located  inside  at 
the  upper  end.     The  valve  stem  ex- 
tended down  through  the  head  and 
was  threaded  through  a  nut  of  low- 
fusing  solder  attached  to  the  lower 
side  of  the  casting. 

In  1881  he  improved  the  head  by 
discarding  the  fusible  nut  and  sub- 
stituting a  horizontal  lever  D  for 
holding  the  stem  in  place.  One  end 
of  the  lever  was  hinged  and  the  other 
was  held  in  place  by  a  latch  fastened 
by  low-fusing  solder  B.  The  solder 
joint  was  well  placed  to  receive  the 
heat  quickly,  but  the  head  was  weak  in  the  matter  of 
distribution  and  in  the  construction  of  the  valve. 


BARNES  A. 
(Section.) 

A,  valve. 

B,  fusible  nut. 

C,  distributor. 

D,  stem. 


D 
BARNES  1. 

(Section.) 


BARNES  2. 

(Section.) 


In  1885  Mr.  Barnes  invented  a  valve  sprinkler  with  a 
deflector.  In  this  head,  known  as  Barnes  No.  2,  the 
deflector  and  valve,  which  were  in  one  piece,  consisted 


26 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


of  a  small  brass  disc  with  a  raised  toothed  edge  and  with 
a  few  small  perforations  near  the  outer  edge.  This  was 
held  against  the  orifice  by  a  long  lever  hinged  at  one 
end  and  connected  to  an  arm  projecting  from  the  cast- 
ing, by  a  fusible  link.  The  valve  could  be  set  up  tight 
against  the  orifice  by  a  set  screw.  The  brass  against 
brass  valve  was  not  well  adapted  to  withstand  the  ten- 
dency to  leak.  Otherwise,  except  for  its  bulk,  this  was 
a  well-designed  head. 

Bishop.  Mr.  John  W.  Bishop  of  New  Haven,  who 
was  quite  prominent  in  the  early  development  of  sprink- 
lers, took  out  his  first  patent  for  such  a  device  in  1879. 


BISHOP  SPRINKLERS.     (Section.) 

This  was  a  sealed  head  of  complicated  design  containing 
a  balanced  sliding  valve  around  which  was  a  small  by- 
pass. This  was  apparently  never  used,  but  in  1883  he 
patented  an  improved  head,  generally  known  as  the 
Bishop  No.  1  head,  which  attained  considerable  promi- 
nence. This  was  probably  the  first  head  to  use  the 
principle  of  the  interior  or  sleeve  distributor.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  brass  pipe-shaped  casting  threaded  at  one 
end  for  a  half-inch  fitting  and  with  a  thin*Jyrass  cap 
soldered  over  the  other  end.  Inside  was  a  sleeve  con- 
taining helical  slots.  When  the  cap  was  released,  this 
sleeve  was  pushed  forward  a  short  distance  from  the 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     27 

orifice  by  the  water  pressure  and  held  at  that  point 
by  an  interior  shoulder.  The  water  passed  through  the 
sleeve  and  was  distributed  from  the  helical  slots. 

Later  this  head  was  rendered  more  sensitive  by  making 
the  releasing  device  in  the  form  of  a  thimble  soldered 
to  the  inside  of  the  orifice.  A  washer  of  insulating 
material  was  placed  between  the  thimble  and  the 
sleeve.  This  kept  the  water  away  from  the  soldered 
joint  and  allowed  both  sides  of  the  joint  to  be  exposed 
to  the  heated  air. 

In  1884  this  head  was  radically  changed  by  doing 
away  with  the  interior  sleeve  and  substituting  a  deflec- 
tor with  perforated  edge.  This  deflector  was  attached 
to  the  head  by  two  bars  running  to  a  collar  surrounding 
the  head.  There  was  a  light  spring  inserted  under  the 
collar  to  hold  the  deflector  close  to  the  orifice.  The 
pressure  of  the  water  pushed  the  deflector  a  short  dis- 
tance away  during  the  time  that  the  head  was  in  opera- 
tion. In  this  head,  known  as  the  Bishop  No.  2,  the 
screw  thread  was  made  for  a  f-inch  fitting  but  the  orifice 
was  bushed  down  to  J  inch. 

Burritt.  A.  M.  Burritt  of  Waterbury,  Conn.,  invented 
several  sprinklers,  the  first  of  which  was  patented  in 
1881.  This  was  a  rose  sprinkler  of  the  sealed  or  water- 
joint  type.  The  orifice  pointed  inward  from  a  hollow 
casting  and  was  closed  by  a  metal  thimble  soldered  in 
place.  '  The  head  was  spherical  in  shape  with  perforations 
covering  about  half  of  the  sphere.  It  was  threaded  on 
the  inside  for  a  pipe  connection. 

The  so-called  Burritt  No.  1  was  a  slight  modification 
of  this  and  had  the  thread  on  the  outside  and  a  loose 
fitting  cap  which  covered  the  rose  distributor  to  keep 
out  dust  and  dirt.  In  1882  the  Burritt  No.  2,  a  slight 
modification  of  No.  1,  was  used,  but  in  1883  an  entirely 
new  type,  known  as  No.  3,  was  adopted.  This  was  of  the 
sensitive  type  and  consisted  of  a  rectangular-shaped 


28 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


casting  with  a  slotted  deflector  surrounding  the  orifice. 
The  valve  was  a  round  metal  disc  with  a  stem  extending 
to  the  lower  part  of  the  frame  where  it  was  held  by  a 


BURRITT  SPRINKLERS. 

lever,  one  end  of  which  was  hooked  to  the  main  casting, 
and  the  other  soldered  to  a  projection  on  the  frame. 
The  water  was  distributed  by  striking  the  flat  circular 
valve  seat  and  being  thrown  back  onto  the  deflector. 

Whiting.  Mr.  F.  M.  Whiting  of  Chelsea  patented 
a  sprinkler  in  1881,  which  in  the  original  and  modified 
form  was  used  to  some  extent  in  New  England.  The 


Standard.  Hub. 

WHITING  SPRINKLER. 

original  head,  sometimes  known  as  the  Standard,  was 
fan-shaped  in  cross  section  with  a  curved  perforated 
distributor  inserted  near  the  large  end.  Over  this  was 
soldered  a  cap,  of  a  similar  shape,  turned  up  at  the  edges 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     29 

to  fit  the  large  end  of  the  head.  This  solder  joint,  like 
that  in  the  last  type  of  Parmelee  head,  was  exposed  to 
the  heated  air  on  two  sides  and  was  thus  more  sensitive 
than  many  heads  of  this  type.  This  head  was  simple 
in  construction  but  the  distribution  was  limited  to  a 
comparatively  small  angle. 

The  modified  form  known  as  the  Hub  was  very  similar 
to  the  first  type  except  that  the  distributor  and  cap  were 
conical  in  shape  and  there  was  a  layer  of  felt  between 
the  two.  This  tended  to  keep  the  water  away  from  the 
solder  joint  and  make  the  head  more  sensitive.  In 
both  these  heads  the  solder  joint,  unlike  that  in  most 
of  the  early  heads,  was  under  tension  stress  only. 

Granger.  Mr.  A.  M.  Granger  of  Boston,  afterwards 
agent  for  the  General  Fire  Ex- 
tinguisher Company  at  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.,  invented  a  sprinkler  in 
1881  of  the  elbow  type.  The 
valve  stem  was  capped  with  a 

disc   of  fusible   metal   against        ~ 

...  .111  GRANGER  SPRINKLER. 

which  rested  a  stiff  spring  hold-  .       ,        „    •    ,     ... 

*j     e  A,  valve.     B,  solder  joint, 
ing  the   valve   closed.     When  c  turbine. 

the    fusible    disc    melted    the 

water  pressure  opened  the  valve.  The  water  was  dis- 
tributed through  a  reactionary  turbine  located  on  the 
top  side  of  the  head. 

Brown.  Mr.  J.  R.  Brown  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  form- 
erly with  the  P.  S,  &  G.  P.  Co.,  and  who  invented  several 
early  heads  in  conjunction  with  W.  A.  Foskett,  patented 
a  head  under  his  own  name  in  1881.  This  was  a  valve 
sprinkler  in  which  the  valve  was  held  closed  by  a  cap 
soldered  over  the  lower  end.  The  valve  stem  was  hol- 
low; the  water  entering  this  hollow  space  through  slots 
at  the  top  was  distributed  through  holes  or  slots  in  the 
lower  end  when  the  head  opened. 

In   1883   this   head   was   slightly   changed   and   this 


30  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

pattern,  known  as  Brown  No.  1,  was  quite  extensively 
used.  In  this  head  the  valve  was  conical  in  shape  and 
seated  against  a  ring  of  softer  metal  which  was  wedged 
by  the  water  pressure  between  the  interior  of  the  head 
and  the  valve,  thus  making  a  tight  joint.  The  valve 
stem  extended  down  through  the  head  and  was  attached 
to  a  solid  deflector  with  grooves  on  the  upper  surface. 


Open  (section.)  Closed. 

BROWN  SPRINKLER  No.  2. 

The  deflector  was  beveled  on  the  edge  and  fitted  tightly 
into  a  lower  side  of  the  head  which  was  beveled  in  the 
same  way.  This  deflector,  soldered  in  place,  held  the 
valve  closed.  When  the  solder  fused,  the  deflector 
dropped  about  f  inch  and  was  then  held  by  an  enlarge- 
ment in  the  stem  wedging  into  a  hole  in  a  bridge  sup- 
ported in  an  enlargement  of  the  head. 

About  the  same  time  the  Brown  No.  2  head  was 
patented.  In  this  head  the  valve  and  deflector  were  in 
one  piece,  the  valve  seat  being  at  the  lower  side  of  the 
head.  The  deflector  was  held  in  place  by  two  curved 
levers  hinged  at  the  upper  end  and  soldered  together  at 
the  lower  ends.  A  short  strut,  which  could  be  adjusted 
to  take  up  any  play,  extended  from  the  deflector  to  the 
levers.  The  deflector  was  held  from  dropping  too  far 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     31 


by  a  spindle  as  in  the  former  head.  The  solder  joint 
was  well  placed  in  this  head  so  as  to  make  it  quite 
sensitive  to  heat.  Both  of  these  heads  were  assigned 
to  the  Automatic  Fire  Alarm  ancj.  Extinguisher  Co.  of 
New  York. 

Harris.  A.  C.  Harris  of  Chelsea,  Mass.,  patented  a 
sprinkler  in  1881  of  the  sealed  or  water-joint  type. 
This  was  quite  similar  to  the  Whiting  head  except  in 
the  manner  of  soldering  the  cap  over  the  outlet.  The 
head  was  fan-shaped  in  section  with  a  curved  perforated 
rosette  for  distributing  the  water.  A  thin  brass  cap 
covered  the  rosette  extending  slightly  over  the  edge 
where  it  was  soldered  with  low-fusing  solder.  In  1882 
Mr.  Harris  took  out  a  patent  on  a  valve  or  sensitive 
type  head.  The  valve  stem  extended  through  the  head 
and  was  soldered  to  two  curved  springs  projecting  from 
the  body  of  the  head. 


3  2 

HARRIS  SPRINKLERS. 

(Section.) 

Neither  of  these  heads  were  used  in  practice  so  far  as 
is  known  but  a  third  type  patented  in  1883  did  have 
considerable  use.  In  this  head  a  six-sided  deflector 
was  attached  to  sprinkler  by  arms  extending  downward 
from  a  collar.  In  the  center  of  the  deflector  was  a  hole 
through  which  the  valve  stem  passed.  The  orifice, 
which  extended  down  nearly  to  the  deflector,  was  closed 


32 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


HARRIS  3. 


by  a  valve  with  a  stem  extending  down  through  a  hollow 
tube  at  the  bottom  of  the  head. 
A  thimble  was  soldered  into  the  end 
of  the  tube  to  hold  the  valve  in 
place. 

The  principal  defect  in  this  head, 
in  common  with  all  heads  having 
this  form  of  release,  was  the  tend- 
ency of  the  thimble  to  bind  in 
the  tube  and  not  slide  out  readily 
when  the  solder  fused.  In  case 
the  tube  was  slightly  bent  or  in- 
dented it  would  almost  surely  cause 
the  thimble  to  stick. 

Kane.  John  and  William  Kane 
were  very  prominent  in  the 
sprinkler  business  in  Philadel- 
phia for  a  number  of  years. 
They,  separately  and  together, 
invented  many  heads.  A  large 
number  of  these  heads  were  in- 
stalled especially  in  Philadelphia 
and  near-by  sections.  The  Wm. 
Kane  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  in- 
stalled the  early  heads  and  the 
Universal  Automatic  Fire  Ex- 
tinguisher Co.  installed  some  of 
the  later  types. 

The  first  patent  of  John  Kane 
was  taken  out  in  1881  and  was 
one  of  the  most  curious  heads 
ever  invented.  It  was  a  valve 
sprinkler  with  a  long  stem  ex- 
tending down  below  the  casting. 


KANE  CARTRIDGE 
SPRINKLER. 

B,  cartridge.  C,  distributor. 
D,  valve  stem. 


The  distributor  was  in  the  form  of  four  curved  arms 
which  rotated  when  the  water  passed  through  them. 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     33 


The  most  extraordinary  feature,  however,  was  the  releas- 
ing device.  An  ordinary  ball  cartridge  was  clamped  to 
the  head  with  the  ball  end  pointing  down.  A  hole  was 
bored  in  the  ball  end  and  through  this  hole  a  short  rod 
projected.  This  rod  was  fastened  to  the  stem  of  the 
valve  by  means  of  a  set  screw,  thus  holding  the  valve 
in  place.  The  explosion  of  the  cartridge  was  necessary 
to  open  the  head  and  if  anyone  happened  to  be  under 
the  head  at  the  time  he  might  have  suffered  from  a  bullet 
wound.  The  sprinkler  was  never  used  so  far  as  known. 
In  1882  John  and  William  Kane  patented  a  sprinkler 
in  which  the  valve  was  held  in 
place  by  a  spring  passing  over  the' 
end  of  the.  head.  This  spring  was 
hooked  to  a  projection  at  one  side 
and  soldered  to  a  projection  at 
the  other  side.  This  head  slightly 
modified  is  generally  known  as  the 
William  Kane  head  No.  1.  The 
head  known  as  the  William  Kane 
Eclipse  or  No.  2  was  apparently 
patented  by  John  Kane  in  1886, 


KANE  2.     (Section.) 


although  it  is  said  to  have  been  in  use  as  early  as  1882. 

It  was  a  large  cumbersome  head  containing  a  globe 
valve  with  a  spindle  held  in  place  by  a  complicated 
system  of  levers,  one  of  which  was  curved  and  extended 
a  considerable  distance  beyond  the  head.  Distribution 
was  by  means  of  a  small  revolving  deflector  attached  to 
a  rod  at  the  lower  end.  A  loose  cap  fitted  over  the 
deflector  when  the  head  was  closed. 

Draper.  In  1884  F.  H.  Prentiss  of  Boston  patented 
a  sprinkler  depending  in  its  operation  upon  the  expan- 
sion of  ether  and  other  volatile  materials.  The  valve 
opened  against  the  water  pressure  so  that  the  pressure 
in  the  pipes  tended  to  keep  the  valve  closed.  The 
spindle  of  the  valve  was  attached  to  one  side  of  a  closed 


34 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


DRAPER. 


receptacle  containing  ether  and  alcohol.     This  receptacle 
had  corrugated  sides  and  when  the  volatile  contents 

expanded  from  heat  these 
sides  were  forced  apart.  This 
motion  pushed  up  the  valve, 
thus  opening  the  sprinkler. 
The  water  was  distributed 
from  a  flat  plate,  though  in 
the  later  types  a  thin  cor- 
rugated ring  was  installed  to 
break  up  the  stream.  The 
closed  receptacle  was  pro- 
tected from  the  possibility 
of  getting  wet  by  a  metal 
hood.  In  the  earlier  pat- 
terns of  this  head  there  was 
no  device  for  locking  the  valve  open  and  it  was  apt  to 
close  too  soon  from  the  cooling  of  the  air  around  it. 
Later  a  latch  was  provided  to  hold  the  valve  up  after 
it  had  once  opened. 

This  head  was  usually  known  as  the  Draper  head  and, 
though  ingenious,  had  but  little  use  in  this  country.  It 
was  submitted  for  approval  in  England  under  the  name 
Draper-Hetherington,  but  G.  H.  Bailey,  who  made 
tests  upon  a  number  of  heads  in  1889,  reported  that 
acceptance  should  be  refused  as  it  failed  to  fulfill  the 
requirements  for  an  efficient  sprinkler.  In  these  tests 
the  head  opened  as  low  as  110°  F.,  although  it  was  sup- 
posed to  open  at  140°  F.  This  was,  of  course,  too  low 
an  operating  point  to  be  safe  in  warm  weather.  In 
several  of  the  sprinklers  tested,  leakage  of  ether  occurred 
when  the  sealed  receptacle  was  greatly  warmed,  in  one 
case  to  such  an  extent  that  the  vapors  ignited.  The 
heads  submitted  apparently  had  no  locking  device  as 
they  closed  again  in  two  or  three  minutes.  The  valve 
so  obstructed  the  outlet  that  the  amount  of  water  dis- 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     35 

charged  was  much  less  than  would  come  from  a  J-inch 
free  outlet. 

The  principal  objection  to  such  a  head  is  the  danger 
of  the  volatile  ether  leaking  out  owing  to  corrosion,  age 
or  slight  defects,  thus  making  the  head  useless. 

Walworth.  In  1883  C.  C.  Walworth  and  O.  B.  Hall 
of  Boston  patented  the  first  type  of  Walworth  sprinkler. 
This  head  was  modified  and  improved  at  intervals  until 
1899,  but  the  same  characteristics  were  carried  through 
all  the  modifications.  The  head  was  installed  by  the 
Walworth  Manufacturing  Company  of  Boston  until 
1900  when  the  business  was  sold  out  to  the  Manufac- 
turers Automatic  Sprinkler  Company  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 
This  head  was  extensively  used  and  was  especially  popu- 
lar in  the  New  England  field.  One  reason  for  this 
popularity  was  the  fact  that,  in  all  but  the  original  type, 
the  head  was  so  constructed  that  it  could  be  used  again 
after  it  had  operated  by  simply  replacing  the  old  link. 
This  feature,  while  appealing  to  the  factory  owner,  was 
later  found  to  be  undesirable  from  the  fact  that  it  led 
to  frequent  adjustments  in  the  field.  On  this  account 
the  stresses  on  the  parts,  particularly  in  the  soldered 
link,  were  of  unknown  and  variable  quantity;  there  were 
occasional  leaks  due  to  too  light  a  stress  being  applied, 
as  well  as  sticking  at  the  seat  due  to  too  heavy  stresses. 

The  first  Walworth  head  had  a  |-inch  orifice  closed 
by  a  valve  disc  with  a  lead  seat.  This  was  held  in  place 
by  a  lever  which,  when  in  its  normal  position,  was  parallel 
to  the  frame  of  the  sprinkler  and  was  soldered  to  it. 
This  was  not  a  very  sensitive  head,  for  as  the  solder 
joint  was  not  in  any  way  separated  from  the  main  cast- 
ing, it  was  necessary  to  heat  the  entire  head  before  the 
solder  would  fuse. 

During  the  same  year  the  head  was  improved  by 
replacing  the  soldered  arm  with  a  link  of  fusible  solder 
which  fitted  over  the  top  of  the  lever  and  held  it  to  a 


36 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


projection  on  the  main  casting.  This,  the  so-called 
solder  link  or  No.  2  model,  was  found  defective  in  that 
the  link  stretched  under  pressure 
and  allowed  the  head  to  leak.  In 
order  to  overcome  this  difficulty 
the  third  type,  known  as  the  drop 
c  deflector  type  or  2  A,  was  put  out 
a  little  later.  In  this  head  the  link 
was  made  of  two  U-shaped  pieces 
of  brass  soldered  together  with  one 
piece  entirely  inside  the  other. 

This  link  was  found  unsatisfac- 
(bection.)  *«.'-•  ..  f 

.      ,.  .      _      .,      tory  because  the  inner  section  of 
A,  valve  disk.    B,  solder    ,,      v    ,  ,    ,  ,  ,     ,.   ,  ,, 

link.    C,  deflector.        the  lmk  tended  to  spread  slightly, 
thus  forming  a  wedge-shaped  joint 

that  created  too  much  friction  when  the  two  pieces  form- 
ing the  link  parted.  The  link  was  later  changed  so.  that 
the  two  pieces  were  soldered  to- 
gether side  by  side  and  tended 
to  separate  more  freely  when  the 
low-fusing  solder  melted. 

In  the  No.  2  Walworth  head  the  deflector  and  valve 
were  all  one  piece  and  the  deflector,  guided  by  the  up- 
rights of  the  main  casting,  dropped  to  the  bottom  of  the 
frame  when  the  head  opened.  The  No.  3  type,  dated 
1885,  was  similar  except  that  the  deflector  was  fastened 
to  the  frame  about  half  an  inch  below  the  orifice  and 
the  valve  spindle  passed  through  a  hole  in  the  center 
of  the  deflector. 

Mackey.  The  first  Mackey  sprinkler,  patented  in 
1885,  was  the  first  type  of  the  well-known  Manufacturers 
heads  which  have  been  used  for  many  years.  This  head 
went  through  a  development  of  four  types  '4feader  the 
name  Mackey  and  seven  more  types  under  the  name 
of  Manufacturers,  finally  emerging  as  the  Manufacturers 
type  C,  which  is  on  the  approved  list  today. 


1  2 

WALWORTH  LINKS. 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND   SYSTEMS     37 

The  first  type,  known  as  No.  1,  was  threaded  for  a 
f-inch  outlet  but  the  orifice  was  bushed  down.  The 
valve  was  cone-shaped  with  a  short  spindle  extending 
through  the  deflector.  Two  curved  levers  passing 
through  bosses  on  the  under  side  of  the  deflector  held 
the  valve  in  place.  They  were  released  by  the  fusing 
of  a  link  somewhat  similar  to  that  used  in  the  Wai- 
worth  head  except  that  the  two 
outer  ends  were  longer  and  ex- 

tended  around  part  of  the  end  of 

..    .  MACKEY  AND  MANU-* 

the  other  link.  FACTURERS  LINKS. 

The  deflector  was  about  half  an 

inch  from  the  orifice  and  contained  small  perforations 
and  a  corrugated  surface. 

Ruthenburg.  Another  cumbersome  head  was  the 
Ruthenburg,  patented  by  Marcus  Ruthenburg  of  Cin- 
cinnati in  1885.  It  was,  however,  simple  in  construction, 
consisting  of  a  casting  containing  an  orifice  and  with  a 


RUTHENBURG.    (Section.) 

deflector  fastened  to  the  frame  by  bolts.  The  valve 
was  a  rubber  sphere  and  was  held  in  place  by  a  thin 
lever  about  6  inches  long.  This  lever  was  held  to  a 
similar  projection  by  a  fusible  link.  The  head  was  used 
to  considerable  extent  in  the  West. 

Grinnell.  To  Mr.  Frederick  Grinnell  of  Providence 
should  be  given  the  credit  of  doing  more  than  any  other 
one  man  to  develop  the  art  of  sprinkler  protection.  His 
company,  the  Providence  Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Co.,  was 


38  AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

one  of  the  first  to  install  perforated  pipes  and  sprinklers 
and  the  scale  of  pipe  sizes  and  method  of  erecting  the 
piping  inaugurated  by  this  company  was  the  generally 
recognized  standard  for  many  years.  This  company 
originally  installed  the  Parmelee  sprinkler  and  contin- 
ued to  do  so  until  1882  when  the  first  Grinnell  head  was 
invented. 

Mr.  Grinnell  took  out  a  vast  number  of  patents 
covering  perforated  pipes,  sprinkler  heads,  deflectors, 
solder  joints  and  many  other  details.  Under  his  con- 
trol the  Providence  Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Co.,  afterwards 
the  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  became  the  leading 
sprinkler  company  in  the  country. 

In  1880  he  patented  a  sprinkler  somewhat  resembling 
the  Harrison  head  in  principle,  but  this  was  never  used 
so  far  as  known.  In  1882  he  invented  a  sprinkler  which 
was  a  radical  departure  from  anything  that  had  been 
made  up  to  that  time.  Instead  of  a  nozzle,  he  used  a 
plate  orifice  or,  in  other  words,  a  thin  brass  plate  or 
diaphragm,  containing  a  TVinch  hole,  for  discharging  the 
water.  This  diaphragm  was  inserted  in  an  enlarge- 
ment of  the  casting  and  had  a  total  diameter  of  a  little 
over  an  inch.  As  it  was  quite  thin,  a  stiff  spring  plate 
was  inserted  just  under  it  so  as  to  insure  a  strong  spring 
action  to  the  levers  and  to  prevent  the  diaphragm  from 
collapsing  when  the  sprinkler  was  not  under  pressure. 
The  edges  of  the  orifice  in  the  diaphragm  were  bent 
over  to  form  a  seat  ring  about  J  inch  wide.  The  valve 
and  deflector  were  in  one  piece,  the  center  of  the  deflec- 
tor being  depressed  and  filled  with  a  disc  of  lead  to  form 
the  valve.  The  deflector  itself  had  teeth  projecting  at 
right  angles  around  the  edge  to  distribute  the  water. 
The  valve  was  held  in  place  by  a  pair  of  compound  levers, 
the  first  being  held  at  one  end  by  a  notch  in  the  yoke 
and  at  the  other  end  by  the  second  lever.  The  latter 
was  hooked  under  a  notch  in  the  other  side  of  the  yoke 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS     39 


and  soldered  at  the  extreme  lower  end  by  fusible  solder 
reinforced  by  an  L-shaped  piece  of  wire.  Perhaps  the 
best  feature  of  this  head,  and  one  that  was  confined 
to  Grinnell  heads  for  many  years,  was  the  arrangement 
of  the  diaphragm  discharge  whereby  the  increase  of 


pressure 
it  leak, 
making 
pressure 
exposed 
in  place 


GRINNELL.    (Section.) 

tightened  the  valve  instead  of  tending  to  make 
as  in  most  heads.  This  was  accomplished  by 
the  area  of  the  diaphragm  exposed  to  the  water 

larger  than  the  area  of  the  valve  which  was 
to  water  pressure.  The  valve  was  held  rigidly 

by  the  levers  but  the  diaphragm  was  flexible. 


40  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Thus  the  pressure  of  the  water  being  greater  on  the  dia- 
phragm than  on  the  valve  (on  account  of  its  larger 
area)  the  tendency  of  increasing  the  pressure  was  to 
make  the  joint  tighter. 

The  first  type  of  Grinnell  head  was  only  used  a  few 
weeks  when  a  few  minor  improvements  were  made  and 
the  so-called  Grinnell  type  A  head  was  put  upon  the 
market.  Three  other  types  were  put  out  at  intervals, 
namely,  the  type  B  in  1884,  C  in  1886  and  D  in  1888. 
They  were  all  similar  in  principal,  however,  the  changes 
being  only  in  details  such  as  the  width  of  the  valve  seat 
ring  and  the  metal  used  in  the  valve  disc. 

The  Grinnell  head  soon  became  the  standard  sprinkler 
of  the  country  and  was  very  extensively  used.  It  is 
one  of  the  few  early  heads  that  after  numerous  develop- 
ments and  changes  is  still  on  the  market. 

ODD  DEVICES 

In  this  first  decade  of  the  history  of  sprinkler  protec- 
tion a  number  of  patents  were  taken  out  upon  odd 
devices  that  were  never  used  in  practice  but  are  interest- 
ing to  note. 

Miller.  Joseph  A.  Miller  of  Providence  patented  a 
head  in  1878  in  which  the  releasing  device  was  actuated 
by  the  expansion  of  rods  and  the  expansion  of  oil  in  a 
closed  receptacle. 

Briggs.  In  1882  R.  Briggs  of  Brooklyn  invented  a 
head  in  which  the  melting  of  the  solder  was  supposed 
to  be  accelerated  by  placing  some  highly  combustible 
substance  like  sulphur  close  to  it.  j 

Delmage.  C.  L.  Delmage  of  Woonsocket,  R.  I.,  took 
out  a  patent  in  1883  for  a  head,  which  was  covered  with 
a  glass  ball.  There  was  -a  small  pivoted  hammer  actu- 
ated by  a  spring  so  arranged  that  when  a  fusible  link 
melted  the  hammer  was  released,  and  striking  the  glass 
ball  shattered  it  and  released  the  water. 


EARLY  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AND  SYSTEMS    41 

A  similar  device  was  patented  by  R.  L.  Cumnock  and 
P.  J.  Marrs  in  1892. 

Ashcroft.  In  1886  E.  H.  Ashcroft  of  Lynn,  Mass., 
patented  a  head  with  a  very  novel  form  of  distribution. 
The  water  issued  from  four  small  outlets  arranged 
around  the  head  and  each  stream  played  onto  a  bell- 
shaped  deflector  fastened  just  below  the  outlet. 


CHAPTER  III 

LATER  DEVELOPMENTS   IN   AUTOMATIC 
SPRINKLERS 

TYPES 

The  first  decade  of  the  history  of  automatic  sprinklers 
may  be  said  to  have  ended  in  1885.  It  was  a  period  of 
prolific  invention  in  which  many  heads  of  widely  differ- 
ent types  were  thoroughly  tested  by  field  experience. 
The  more  important  of  these  types  were  as  follows: 

1.  Heads  depending  upon  the  burning  of  cords. 

Example:   Conant. 

2.  Rose  heads  of  the  sealed  or  water-joint  type. 

Examples:   Whiting,  Harris  and  early  types  of 
Burritt. 

3.  Rose  sprinklers  with  valves. 

Examples:   Harrison,  Brown  &  Foskett,  Barnes. 

4.  Sealed  type  with  turbine  or  slot  distribution. 

Examples:   Parmelee  5,  Bishop. 

5.  Valve  sprinklers  with  deflectors  and  operating  by 

the  fusing  of  solder. 
Examples:  Buell,  Grinnell,  Burritt  3,  Mackey. 

The  latter  type  might  be  divided  into  several  sub- 
types as  follows: 

(a)  Those  with  valve  held  in  place  by  soldered  thimble 

under  direct  strain. 
Examples:   Harris,  Bishop  2,  Gray. 
(6)  Those  in  which  valve  is  held  by  levers  and  a  link. 
Examples:  Bishop,  Mackey,  Walworth,  Ruthen- 
burg. 

42 


LATER   DEVELOPMENTS,  ETC.  43 

(c)   Those  in  which  valve  is  held  by  levers  soldered  in 

place. 
Examples:   Brown  1,  Burritt  3,  Grinnell,  Kane. 

The  developments  which  followed  1885  were  more 
along  the  lines  of  perfecting  old  types  rather  than 
creating  new  ones.  For  reasons  too  obvious  to  dwell 
upon  the  types  depending  upon  the  burning  of  cords 
and  those  with  rose  distributors  were  very  soon  given 
up.  The  use  of  the  turbine  and  slot  distributors  was 
also  short  lived  and  was  practically  limited  to  the 
Parmelee  and  early  Bishop  heads.  The  use  of  the  sealed 
or  water-joint  types  was  discarded  on  account  of  their 
lack  of  sensitiveness.  Thus  it  was  that  after  1885,  there 
were  practically  no  sprinklers  made  except  those  of  the 
last  type,  namely,  valve  sprinklers  with  deflectors.  The 
development  after  this  date  consisted  largely  of  improve- 
ments in  the  sub-types  under  this  general  heading,  al- 
though one  rather  distinct  sub-type  was  created,  namely, 
the  valve  held  closed  by  a  strut  composed  of  several 
pieces  of  metal  held  together  by  low-fusing  solder. 
Several  important  inventions  were  made  in  the  form  of 
valve  and  in  the  orifice  such  as  the  hollow  valve  disc, 
valve  discs  of  glass  and  porcelain  and  diaphragm  orifices; 
but  the  heads  in  which  these  were  used  were  all  of  the 
same  general  type.  While  a  few  heads  of  radically 
different  types  were  patented  they  were  as  a  rule  unsuc- 
cessful and  had  but  a  short  life. 

ODD  TYPES 

Before  discussing  the  further  development  of  the  fifth 
type  of  sprinkler  it  might  be  well  to  mention  briefly 
three  sprinklers  of  other  types  that  are  of  interest, 
namely,  the  Mascot,  Nagle  and  Shaw. 

Mascot,  1 88 1.  This  was  an  elbow  sprinkler  with  a 
valve  and  a  deflector.  The  valve  was  located  inside 


44 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


of  a  hollow  casting  and  was  held  against  its  seat  by  a 
number  of  hinged  levers  which  when  in  the  normal 
position  formed  a  strut.  At  the  upper  side  of  the  head 
there  was  a  small  chamber  containing  a  wax  which 
expanded  under  heat.  A  piston  extended  from  this 
chamber  to  one  of  the  levers  which  formed  the  strut. 
The  wax  receptacle  was  so  adjusted  that  when  the  wax 
expanded  the  piston  was  moved  forward  and  pushed  the 
lever,  against  which  it  rested,  sufficiently  to  throw  the 
hinged  levers  off  centre,  and  thus  relieve  the  pressure 
on  the  valve.  This  allowed  the  valve  to  be  opened  by 
the  water  pressure  and  pushed  forward  a  sufficient  dis- 
tance to  allow  the  water  to  be  discharged  from  a  J-inch 
hole  in  the  side  of  the  hollow  casting.  The  deflector 
was  held  in  front  of  this  outlet  at  a  distance  of  about 
J  inch  from  it.  The  water  turned  a  right  angle  as  it 
passed  through  the  head  so  that  the  sprinkler  had  to  be 
screwed  into  the  side  of  the  supply  pipe  in  order  to  have 
the  deflector  parallel  to  the  ceiling.  There  was  also 

an  alarm  attachment.  This 
head  though  interesting  in 
principle  was  crude  in  con- 
struction and  was  of  little 
importance  practically. 

Nagle  i,  1890.  This  was 
a  valve  sprinkler  with  a 
deflector  and  was  operated 
by  the  melting  of  solder. 
The  valve  was  at  the  end 
of  the  screw  fitting  and, 
like  the  Draper,  opened  a- 


NAGLE. 
(Section.) 


gainst  the  water  pressure.  A 
spindle  was  attached  to  the  inside  of  the  valve  and  ex- 
tended into  a  closed  metal  cylinder  where  there  was  a 
long  steel  spring  like  a  clock  spring.  One  end  of  this 
spring  was  attached  to  a  nut  into  which  the  spindle  of 


LATER  DEVELOPMENTS,  ETC.  45 

the  valve  was  threaded;  the  other  end  was  attached  to 
the  inside  of  the  cylindrical  casing.  Two  arms  extended 
from  the  nut  to  the  outside  of  the  casing  and  were 
soldered  with  low-fusing  solder  to  projecting  brackets. 
When  these  arms  were  released  by  heat  the  spring  un- 
coiled and  the  motion  it  imparted  to  the  nut  screwed 
the  spindle  forward  and  threw  the  valve  off  its  seat. 
As  the  valve  fitted  into  a  groove  and  was  cemented  in 
place  with  asphaltum  or  some  similar  material  the  chance 
of  sticking  seemed  to  be  great  in  spite  of  the  strong 
spring  that  was  supposed  to  release  it. 

Shaw,  1901.  This  was  a  valve  sprinkler  with  a 
toothed  deflector  and  a  frame  of  modern  design.  It 
operated  upon  a  principle  similar  to  the 
Mascot,  except  that  the  actuating  device 
which  caused  the  parts  of  the  strut  to  fall 
apart  was  a  small  receptacle  containing 
alcohol  or  ether  instead  of  an  expansive 
wax.  When  the  alcohol  or  ether  expanded, 
the  side  of  the  thermostatic  chamber  was 
pressed  outward  and  this  movement  threw 
out  a  key  which  allowed  the  strut  to 
collapse.  Like  the  Draper,  this  head  could  SHAW. 
readily  be  made  inoperative  by  corrosion,  blows  or  other 
means  which  might  allow  the  leakage  of  the  expansive 
fluid. 

DEVELOPMENT   OF  THE   PRINCIPAL  TYPES 

Bishop.  In  1885  the  fourth  Bishop  sprinkler  known 
as  No.  2|  was  first  made.  This  was  a  valve  sprinkler 
with  a  deflector,  the  valve  being  held  closed  by  a  stem 
extending  to  the  lower  end  of  the  head  and  held  in  place 
by  a  plug  soldered  into  a  collar  surrounding  the  spindle. 
This  head,  together  with  the  other  five  types  of  Bishop 
heads,  made  between  1884  and  1888,  was  threaded  for 
a  J-inch  fitting.  This  is  also  true  of  the  Gray,  Harkness 


46  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

No.  1,  the  New  York  &  New  Haven,  and  all  Mackey 
heads.  The  last  of  these  heads  was  made  in  1889  and 
after-  this  the  business  became  standard- 
ized to  the  extent  that  all  heads,  with  the 
single  exception  of  the  Manufacturers, 
were  made  for  a  half -inch  fitting. 

The  type  of  Bishop  head,  known  as 
No.  3,  was  very  similar  to  the  2J  head, 
the  deflector  of  each  sliding  on  a  spindle 
and   being   held   up   by   a    light    spring. 
BISHOP  2£.       When  the   head  operated,  the  deflector 
(Section.)        was  pUShed  down  on  guides  a  short  dis- 
tance by  the  water.     Two  other  types  of  Bishop  heads 
No.  3|  and  4  followed  in  1887  and  1888.     These  were 
quite  similar  to  the  previous  types  except  that  the  valve 
spindle  was  held  in  place  by  two  hinged  levers,  these 
being  held  together  by  a  fusible  link. 

Brown.  In  one  of  these  heads,  patented  in  1884,  Mr. 
Brown  used  a  very  novel  principle,  namely,  that  of 
having  water  pressure  on  two  valves,  one  at  each  end 
of  the  strut  that  held  the  valves  closed.  To  accomplish 
this,  the  water  passage  of  the  sprinkler  was  split  and 
ran  to  two  opposing  outlets.  One  outlet  was  enlarged 
and  covered  by  a  flexible  diaphragm  which  acted  as  a 
deflector.  The  strut  which  held  the  valve  against  the 
other  outlet  consisted  of  a  small  cylinder  soldered  into 
a  cup-shaped  receptacle.  The  lower  end  of  the  strut 
rested  on  the  flexible  deflector  and  the  water  pressure 
acting  on  this  created  a  balanced  pressure  and  tended  to 
keep  the  valve  tight.  This  head  was  never  used  so  far 
as  known. 

Buell.  The  Buell  head  known  as  No.  3,  made  in  1884, 
was  unique  in  the  method  of  distribution.  The  head 
was  in  the  form  of  a  hollow  ring  with  a  small  orifice, 
about  J  inch  in  diameter  at  the  bottom  and  a  larger 
orifice,  about  |  inch  in  diameter,  at  the  further  or  upper 


LATER  DEVELOPMENTS,   ETC. 


47 


BUELL    3. 


side  facing  the  first  one.  The.  size  of  the  two  orifices 
was  supposed  to  be  figured  so  that,  allowing  for  friction 
loss,  each  orifice  would  discharge  the 
same  amount  of  water.  The  valves 
which  closed  these  two  outlets  were 
apparently  in  the  form  of  a  single 
strut  with  the  component  parts  held 
together  with  fusible  solder.  When 
the  strut  melted  the  two  streams  of 
water  were  released  and  these  striking 
each  other  distributed  the  water  with- 
out the  aid  of  any  deflector. 

The  No.  4  head  was  similar  except 
that  it  was  in  the  form  of  a  half  ring, 
the  water  coming  only  in  one  direction  to  each  outlet. 
The  orifices  were  about  f  inch  in  diameter. 

The  last  two  types,  No.  5  and  No.  6,  were  similar  to 
each  other  and  contained  f-inch  orifices  closed  by  a 
valve,  the  stem  of  which  extended  through  the  deflector. 
This  was  held  by  a  fusible  joint 
consisting  of  a  horizontal  plate  into 
which  the  stem  was  screwed  and 
two  levers  with  corrugated  surfaces 
soldered  together. 

Star.  Patented  by  W.  T.  Mont- 
gomery in  1886.  This  was  a  valve 
sprinkler  with  a  conical  valve  fit- 
ting into  a  J-inch  orifice.  The  stem 
of  the  valve  was  held  by  two  levers, 
the  shorter  one  being  soldered  to 
the  frame.  The  solder  joint  was 
protected  to  some  extent  from  being 
wet  by  a  flat  disc  in  the*  casting.  The  deflector  was 
star  shaped.  Mr.  Montgomery  formed  a  company  and 
installed  these  heads  for  a  few  years.  Later  he  became 
Boston  Agent  of  the  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co. 


STAR  SPRINKLER.    • 
h,  valve  cap.   j,  k,  levers, 
n,  solder  joint,    r,  disc  to 
protect  solder  joint. 


48 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Clapp.  Joseph  Clapp  of  Chicago  invented  a  head  in 
1887  and  another  in  1890,  the  latter  being  quite  exten- 
sively used.  Both  were  valve  sprinklers  with  fixed 
deflectors.  In  the  first  head  the  deflector  was  supported 


CLAPP  SPRINKLERS. 

by  an  arm  extending  over  the  orifice.  The  valve  was 
held  in  place  by  a  complicated  strut  consisting  of  several 
levers  with  a  fusible  link  attached  to  the  arm.  The 
second  head  was  of  modern  design  with  a  strut  bearing 
against  a  valve  disc  at  one  end  and  the  deflector  at  the 
other  end. 

Hill.     Patented  by  John  Hill  of  Columbus,  Ga.,  in 
1885.     This  was  a  valve  sprinkler  with  an  oscillating 
deflector.     The    fusible    release    con- 
sisted of  two  semi-circular  plates  sol- 
dered to  a  hollow  base.     The  spindle 
from  the  valve  had  a  conical-shaped 
point  resting  in  a  hole  between  the 
two  soldered  plates.     When  the  solder 
melted  these  plates  were  pushed  to 
either  side  allowing  the  valve  to  drop. 
HILL.    (Open.)        The    conical    point    dropped    into    a 
(Section.)  depression  and  the  deflector  was  so 

shaped  that  the  water  gave  it  an  oscillating  motion 
about  the  end  of  the  spindle  as  a  center.  The  Hill 


LATER  DEVELOPMENTS,  ETC.  49 

Company  installed  a  considerable  number  of  equip- 
ments but  finally  sold  out  to  the  General  Fire  Extin- 
guisher Co. 

Gray.  The  Gray  head  was  installed  for  some  years 
by  the  Edward  Barr  Co.,  of  New  York,  but  was  sold  to 
the  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  There 
were  several  types  of  Gray  heads  but  they 
were  quite  similar.  The  releasing  device 
consisted  of  a  thimble  soldered  to  the  inside 
of  a  hollow  tube  which  constituted  the 
lower  end  of  the  head.  The  defect  of  this 
type  of  construction  has  already  been  noted. 

This  company  had  a  very  elaborate  dry 
system  for  use  in  unheated  buildings.     It 
consisted  of  an  auxiliary  system  of  piping 
of  small  size,  placed  parallel  with  the  main       ,«       r' 
piping  and  containing  small  fusible  plugs  at 
intervals.     Air  was  pumped  into  these  small  pipes  and 
when  a  plug  melted  the  reduction  of  the  air  pressure  was 
made  to  open  a  dry  valve  controlling  the  sprinkler  system. 

Hibbard.  The  first  Hibbard  sprinkler  was  invented 
by  Mr.  Geo.  E.  Hibbard  of  Chicago  in  1893.  It  was 
an  upright  sprinkler  with  conical-shaped  deflector. 
The  valve  was  held  in  place  by  two  long  levers  hooked 
to  the  frame  and  extending  around  the  deflector  to  the 
top  of  the  head  where  they  were  held  together  by  a 
fusible  link  of  corrugated  metal.  (See  appendix.) 

It  was  installed  in  the  vicinity  of  Cincinnati.  In 
1894  the  No.  2  head  was  invented  which  was  of  quite 
different  construction.  This  had  a  perforated  deflector 
attached  to  the  outside  of  the  frame.  A  hollow  valve 
cap  was  held  in  place  by  two  toggle-joint  levers,  these 
being  secured  by  a  fusible  link. 

In  1897  the  head  was  slightly  modified  by  lengthening 
the  levers  and  using  a  stronger  valve  disc  which  had 
more  spring  action.  This  was  known  as  No.  3.  In 


50  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

1898  a  slight  modification  was  made  by  arranging  the 
toggle  joint  to  move  on  pivots.  This  is  called  3 A. 

In  1901  a  head,  made  by  the  Niagara  Fire  Ext.  Co., 
but  labeled  Hibbard,  was  installed.  In  this  the  toggle- 
joint  levers  were  straighter  and  less  ornate.  The  link 
was  of  different  design,  being  hollow  with  a  horizontal 
section  in  the  center. 

The  Hibbard  sprinkler  was  made  by  four  different 
concerns,  three  of  these  operating  simultaneously,  so 
that  there  are  several  variations  that  are  rather  hard  to 
distinguish  from  one  another.  These  companies  were: 

American  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Chicago. 
Mailers,  Allen  &  Frazer,  Chicago. 
National  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Kansas  City. 
Niagara  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Akron,  O. 

In  1902  the  Niagara  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  secured 
full  control  of  the  head  and  changed  the  name  to  Niagara- 
Hi  bbard.  Soon  after  this  a  new  form  of  link  was 
adopted.  In  1903  the  general  form  of  the  frame  was 
radically  changed  and  the  new  form  was  approved  in 
1904. 

The  largest  number  of  the  Hibbard  heads  was  put  out 
by  the  two  Chicago  concerns.  Those  made  at  Akron 
were  of  a  later  date  and  were  more  reliable  than  the 
older  ones. 

Many  Hibbard  heads  have  failed  on  test  during  the 
last  few  years  due  principally  to  the  following  causes: 

1.  Levers  too  near  a  "  dead  center." 

2.  Wedging  at  fulcrum  of  levers. 

3.  Defects  in  links. 

4.  Sticking  of  valve. 

5.  Sticking  of  washers,  thus  cutting  dow$.  the  dis- 

charge about  20  per  cent. 

In  1911  Mr.  Hibbard  submitted  a  new  head  known 
as  the  Hibbard  I  for  approval.  He  formed  a  new  com- 


LATER  DEVELOPMENTS,  ETC.  51 

pany  under  the  name  of  Geo  E.  Hibbard  &  Co.  This 
head  was  quite  similar  to  the  Niagara-Hibbard  head 
but  was  made  distinctive  by  two  fins  cast  onto  the  out- 
side of  the  frame. 

It  was  withdrawn  from  approval  in  October,  1912, 
and  its  manufacture  was  discontinued. 

Harkness.  The  Harkness  head 
was  used  to  a  large  extent  through- 
out the  Middle  States.  The  first 
type,  made  in  1887,  was  distinc- 
tive but  the  other  three  types, 
made  in  1889-1890  and  1895,  were 
all  quite  similar  to  each  other. 
The  No.  1  head  was  large  and 
was  threaded  for  a  f-inch  con- 
nection. The  valve  and  the  de- 
a  ft  •  i  .1  .  HARKNESS  1. 

fleeter  were  all  one  piece  and  this 

was  held  in  place  by  a  heavy  lever  ?'  7alve  c*p"    .$*'  8iTui' 
J  J,  L,  lever.    N,  solder  joint, 

soldered    onto    an    angle-shaped 

projection  on  the  frame.  The  solder  joint  was  thin 
and  well  located  to  receive  the  heat  quickly. 

The  three  other  types  were  smaller  heads  threaded 
for  J-inch  fittings.  The  valve  was  separate  from  the 
deflector  but  the  valve  spindle  passed  through  a  hole 
in  the  deflector  and  was  held  in  place  by  a  lever  some- 
what similar  to  but  of  better  construction  than  that  in 
the  first  type.  The  only  important  difference  in  these 
three  heads  was  the  shape  of  the  solder  joint  which  was 
L-shaped  in  the  first,  rectangular  in  the  second  and 
V-shaped  in  the  third. 

Kane.  John  and  William  Kane  of  Philadelphia  in- 
vented several  sprinklers  subsequent  to  the  No.  2  or 
"  Eclipse."  In  1888  the  No.  3  "Bulb  Root"  was  put  on 
the  market.  In  this  head  there  was  a  hollow  casting, 
the  valve  seating  on  a  ring  inside  of  the  casting.  The 
valve  spindle  extended  through  a  TVmch  outlet  in  the 


52  AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

base  of  the  casting  and  there  was  a  small  rotating 
deflector  on  the  end  of  the  spindle.  The  spindle  was 
held  in  place  by  two  levers,  the  second  of  which  was 
held  to  a  projection  on  the  casting  by  a  fusible  link. 
This  head  distributed  the  water  in  a  very  fine  spray 
but  the  interior  valve  caused  a  considerable  friction 
loss. 

The  W.  Kane  No.  4  and  the  J.  Kane  No.  1  and  No.  2 
were  quite  similar  to  each  other,  being  valve  sprinklers 
with  the  spindle  held  in  place  by  levers  and  a  link  similar 
to  those  used  in  the  "Bulb  Root"  head. 

The  J.  Kane  No.  3  and  No.  4,  dated  1900  and  1902, 
respectively  were  heads  of  a  modern  design  similar  to 
the  present  International.  The  frame  was  of  circular 
shape,  the  orifice  being  at  the  bottom  and  a  toothed 
deflector  being  attached  to  the  outside  of  the  frame  at 
the  top.  The  metal  valve  cap  was  held  over  the  orifice 
by  two  levers  of  the  toggle  joint  type  and  a  fusible  link, 
consisting  of  two  thin  plates  of  brass,  fitted  into  grooves 
at  the  ends  of  the  levers. 

John  and  William  Kane  operated  under  the  name  of 
the  Universal  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  for  a  number  of 
years  but  this  company  was  sold  and  taken  over  by 
Clark  Merchant  &  Co.  in  1899.  John  Kane  continued 
in  business  under  the  name  of  the  John  Kane  Fire 
Extinguisher  Co.  until  1902,  when  he  sold  out  to  the 
International  Sprinkler  Co. 

International.  The  International  Sprinkler  Co.  was 
organized  in  1899  by  Clark  Merchant  &  Co.,  with  Mr. 
Powell  Evans  as  President,  and  A.  M.  Lewis  as  Secretary. 
This  company  at  first  installed  the  Universal  sprinkler 
but  in  1900  began  the  manufacture  of  the  No.  1  Inter- 
national head.  This  was  very  similar  to  the  Universal 
sprinkler  but  had  a  somewhat  narrower  frame.  In 
1902  the  head  was  slightly  modified  and  was  known  as 
type  A.  This  type  gave  trouble  by  breaking  open 


LATER  DEVELOPMENTS,   ETC. 


53 


owing  to  weakness  of  the  link.     In  1904  type  B  with  a 
wider  link  was  used.     This  was  installed  very  exten- 
sively by  the  International  Sprinkler  Co.  of  Philadelphia 
until   1911   when  the   company  was   absorbed   by  the 
" Automatic"    Sprinkler    Co. 
of  America.     It   is   now   be- 
ing   used    in    some    parts    of 
the    country.       The     nu- 
merous devices  of  this  com- 
pany were  also  installed   by 
the  following  licensees: 
New    England:     Rhode 
Island     Supply     &     En- 
gineering   Co.,    Provi- 
dence, R.  I. 

Chicago  and  the  North- 
west :  Kellogg  Makay- 
Cameron  Co.,  Chicago, 
111. 

Canada:  W.  J.  McGuire 
&  Co.,  Ltd.,  Montreal 
and  Toronto. 

Central  and  Southwest  District:    Standard  Fire  Ex- 
tinguisher Co.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
Francis  Bros.  &  Jollett,  Inc.,  were  also  licensed  to 
install  these  systems  within  a  district  covered  by 
an  agreement. 
The  International  Company  also  had  approved  alarm 

valves  and  dry  valves. 

Associated.  Some  of  the  gentlemen  formerly  con- 
nected with  the  International  Sprinkler  Co.  formed, 
early  in  1913,  a  new  company  known  as  the  Associated 
Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  A  sprinkler  which  was  a  dupli- 
cate of  the  International  head,  except  for  shape  of 
frame,  width  of  link  and  minor  details,  known  as  issue  A, 
was  approved  by  the  Underwriters  Laboratories  in  1913. 


INTERNATIONAL. 
(Section.) 


54  AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

• 

Soon  afterwards  this  head  was  replaced  by  the  issue 
B  sprinkler  which  was  very  similar  except  that  the 
link  was  altered  and  made  stronger  by  means  of  a 
depression  and  the  deflector  was  redesigned. 


ASSOCIATED  A. 


This  sprinkler  was  approved  by  both  the  Underwriters 
Laboratories  and  the  Mutual  Companies  and  was  used 
to  considerable  extent  till  1916,  when  the  Associated 
Automatic  Sprinkler  Company  merged  with  the  Globe 
Automatic  Sprinkler  Company. 

Evans.  Mr.  Powell  Evans,  formerly  president  of  the 
International  Sprinkler  Company,  invented  a  sprinkler 
in  19 J3  which  was  quite  similar  to  the  International 


LATER   DEVELOPMENTS,   ETC.  55 

sprinkler,  although  easily  distinguished  from  it  by  the 
curved  levers  and  thin  deflector.  In  1915  this  head  was 
slightly  changed  and  was  known  as  issue  B.  These 
heads  together  with  alarm  and  dry  valves  were  in- 
stalled by  the  Merchant  and  Evans  Co.  of  Philadelphia 
until  1916,  when  this  company  also  merged  with  the 
Globe  Automatic  Sprinkler  Company. 


CLOSED 

EVANS  A.  KERSTETER  1. 

Kersteter.  Mr.  Charles  W.  Kersteter  of  Chicago  in- 
vented three  sprinklers  that  had  considerable  use  in 
the  Middle  West.  They  were  all  valve  sprinklers  with 
fixed  deflectors.  In  the  first  head,  patented  in  1888,  the 
valve  was  held  closed  by  two  levers,  one  on  either  side 
of  the  frame,  the  lower  ends  being  hooked  9nto  pro- 
jections on  the  casting  and  the  upper  ends  being  held 
by  a  fusible  link  spanning  the  top  of  the  head  just  over 
the  deflector.  The  deflector  was  a  large  thin  plate 
filled  with  triangular-shaped  holes  and  teeth. 

The  two  later  types,  dated  1893  and  1898,  were  of 
modern  design,  the  valve  being  held  by  a  strut  composed 
of  several  small  pieces  soldered  together. 

About    1896   Mr.    Kersteter   started   a   company   in 


56  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Cleveland,  financed  by  Messrs.  Corning  &  Chisholm, 
which  soon  sold  out  to  the  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co. 
Later  he  formed  the  Niagara  Sprinkler  Co.  in  Akron,  O., 
but  left  this  to  organize  the  Phoenix  Sprinkler  Co.  with 
Mr.  Cook.  This  company  put  in  devices  patented  by 
Jarvis  Hunt  for  a  few  years.  He  left  this  company  and 
returned  to  the  Niagara  Sprinkler  Co.  In  1910  he 
went  to  Milwaukee  and  became  associated  with  the 
Rundle  Spence  Co. 

Mackey.  John  C.  Mackey  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  in- 
vented in  1883  the  No.  1  Mackey  head  which  has  al- 
ready been  mentioned.  The  No.  2  Mackey,  dated  1885, 
was  patented  in  1889.  In  this  head  a  metal  valve  disc 
closed  an  interior  valve  seat  located  inside  of  a  hollow 
cylindrical  casting.  The  valve  spindle  extended  down 
through  the  orifice  and  as  the  stem  was  over  J  inch  in 
diameter  and  the  orifice  was  only  J  inch,  the  amount  of 
water  which  this  head  could  discharge  was  much  below 
the  normal.  The  valve  stem  was  held  in  place  by  a 
link  at  the  lower  end  of  the  head.  In 
1888  the  head  was  improved  and  the 
No.  3  and  No.  4  models  were  put  on  the 
market.  In  these  heads  the  releasing 
device  was  somewhat  changed  so  that 
there  were  two  levers  instead  of  one. 
The  solder  joint,  which  is  similar  in  prin- 
MACKEY  4.  ciple  to  that  used  in  the  modern  Man- 
ufacturers head,  consisted  of  a  slot  in 
one  of  the  levers  through  which  a  narrow  projection 
from  the  casting  passed.  A  V-shaped  piece  of  thin 
brass  was  soldered  to  the  end  of  this  projection  and 
overlapping  the  sides  of  the  slot  held  the  lever  in 
place.  All  four  of  these  heads  had  a  metal  to-metal 
valve  and  were  threaded  for  a  J-inch  pipe  outlet. 

Manufacturers.     The  first  three  types  of  Manufac- 
turers   sprinklers,  sometimes   known   as   the    "  Manu- 


LATER  DEVELOPMENTS,  ETC. 


57 


facturers  Mackey  "  type,  were  very  similar  to  the  last 
Mackey  head.  Some  of  these  heads  were  made  with 
"  non-corrosive  "  agate  or  glass  valves,  and  the  last 
two  types  had  an  unthreaded  projection  about  J  inch 
long  extending  beyond  the  threaded  section.  This  was 
done  to  prevent  sediment  lodging  in  the  head,  but  unless 
the  pipe  was  of  ample  size  at  that  point  it  was  liable  to 
obstruct  the  flow  of  water. 

The  last  four  types  of  Manufacturers  sprinklers  were 
quite  similar  to  each  other  but  of  entirely  different 
design  from  the  former  types.  The 
J-inch  orifice  was  closed  by  a  non- 
corrosive  porcelain  valve,  thin  cop- 
per and  lead  rings  being  used  to 
make  a  tight  seat.  A  hollow  metal 
cap  was  placed  over  the  porcelain 
valve  and  this  was  held  in  place  by 
two  levers  of  the  toggle  joint  type. 
The  ends  of  the  levers  were  slotted 
and  a  fusible  link,  shaped  like  a 
double  T,  formed  two  shoulders  against  which  the  levers 
rested  and  by  which  they  were  held  together. 

Trouble  was  experienced  in  the  earlier  form  of  links 
from  binding  when  the  solder,  fused.  In  the  later  types, 
"  B  "  and  "  C, "  the  link  was  redesigned  to  overcome 
this  trouble.  There  is  still  a  considerable  sliding  motion 
in  the  link  before  the  parts  actually  separate  and  this 
is  a  feature  of  design  that  is  liable  to  allow  the  solder 
to  become  "  frozen  "  by  leakage  from  the  valve  before 
the  solder  joint  is  entirely  free.  This  is  more  apt  to 
happen  in  old  heads  where  the  metal  has  lost  its 
elasticity. 

There  is  also  a  coiled  spring  under  the  edge  of  the 
porcelain  disc  fitting  into  a  groove  in  the  casting.  This 
tends  to  throw  the  disc  up  quickly  when  the  head  fuses. 
While  this  spring  is  embedded  in  wax  it  is  liable  after 


MANUFACTURERS. 
(Section.) 


58 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 


years  of  exposure  to  corrode  so  as  to  lose  its  effective- 
ness. This,  however,  should  not  prevent  the  head  from 
operating  properly. 

The  Manufacturers  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  bought 
out  the  sprinkler  business  of  the  Walworth  Manufac- 
turing Co.  of  Boston  in  1901,  and  in  1911  they  combined 
with  the  International  Sprinkler  Co.  and  the  Niagara 
Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  to  form  the  "  Automatic"  Sprinkler 
Co.  of  America.  This  company  installs  all  three  types 
of  sprinklers. 

Neracher.  Mr.  William  Neracher  of  Cleveland,  0., 
invented  seven  types  of  sprinklers  between  1884  and 
1903,  some  of  which  were  extensively  used.  He  sold 
out  to  the  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  and  was  for 
many  years  their  Cleveland  agent.  The  first  and  second 
heads  were  drop  deflector  types,  the  valve  and  deflec- 
tor being  one  piece.  In  the  first  head  the  valve  was 
held  against  the  orifice  by  a  simple  strut  composed  of 
two  pieces,  one  of  which  was  at  a  slight  angle  to  the 
direction  of  thrust.  This  was  held  in 
place  by  a  horizontal  member  soldered 
to  the  frame.  The  second  head,  dated 
1887,  was  similar  except  that  the  lower 
part  of  the  strut  had  a  long  arm  extend- 
ing horizontally  and  held  to  a  projection 
on  the  frame  by  a  triangular-shaped  link. 
This  style  of  link  with  slight  modi- 
fications was  used  in  all  the  later  types. 
The  four  later  types  were  all  quite 
similar  to  one  another.  A  metal  valve 
cap  closed  the  orifice  and  was  held  in 
place  by  a  four-piece  set  of  levers,  the  two  long  levers 
extending  to  the  top  of  the  head  and  being  held  in  place 
by  a  link.  This  was  a  very  elastic  head  and  was  par- 
ticularly popular  in  sugar  refineries  because  of  its  ability 
to  withstand  corrosion  and  the  gumming  effects  of  sugar, 


NERACHER  3. 


LATER   DEVELOPMENTS,  ETC. 


59 


and  because  the  fusible  link  could  be  easily  cleaned. 
The  latest  type  is  on  the  approved  list  but  is  not  being 
extensively  used  as  it  is  controlled  by  the  General  Fire 
Extinguisher  Co.  who  ordinarily  use  the  Grinnell  head. 
New  York  &  New  Haven.  The  two  heads,  known  as 
the  New  York  &  New  Haven,  both  dated  1889,  were  very 
similar  and  of  the  elbow  type.  The  interior  valve  was 


N.  Y.  &  N.  H.  2.     (Section.) 

fitted  with  a  long  spindle  and  rested  against  a  shoulder 
in  two  hinged  or  hooked  levers.  These  levers  were  held 
together  by  a  fusible  link,  of  much  the  same  design  as 
the  last  Bishop  head.  They  were  installed  by  the  New 
York  &  New  Haven  Co.  and  by  Foskett  &  Bishop  of 
New  Haven,  Conn. 

Newton.  Robert  Newton  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  in- 
vented a  head  in  1894  that  was  used  quite 
extensively  in  Rhode  Island  and  Eastern 
Massachusetts.  It  was  a  metal  valve  head 
with  fixed  perforated  deflector.  The  valve 
was  held  in  place  by  a  balanced  strut  con- 
sisting of  two  parts  set  at  an  angle  and 
bearing  against  two  flat  plates  soldered  onto 
a  horizontal  plate. 

The  pressure  tending  to  throw  the  plates 
off  when  the  solder  fused  was  small  and  the  design  was 
not  well  adapted  to  resist  corrosion.     This  was  rather 


NEWTON. 


60 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


a  short  lived  sprinkler,  and  after  about  ten  years  these 
heads  failed  to  open  properly  and  practically  all  were 
removed. 

Phoenix.  This  head  made  by  the  Phcenix  Fire  Ex- 
tinguisher Co.  of  Chicago  was  submitted  for  approval  in 
January,  1908,  and  approved  on  recommendation  of  the 
Underwriters'  Laboratories  later  in  the  year.  It  was  in- 
stalled for  about  four  years  by  the  above  company  and 
then  withdrawn  as  the  manufacture  was  discontinued. 
The  head  resembled  the  Grinnell  glass  disc  very  closely 
except  that  the  strut  was  of  slightly 
different  design,  the  diaphragm  of  dif- 
ferent shape  and  the  valve  disc  was  metal 
instead  of  glass. 

Pierce.  Octavius  Pierce  of  Chicago 
patented  a  sprinkler  in  1894  which  was 
assigned  to  the  Underwriters'  Fire  Sprink- 
ler Co.  It  was  a  valve  sprinkler  with  a 
strut  built  upon  somewhat  the  same  prin- 
(Section')  ciple  as  the  Newton  head.  It  was  used 

to  some  extent  in  the  West. 

Rockwood.     Geo.  I.  Rockwood  of  Worcester  patented 
a  sprinkler  head  in  1906  which  was  modified  and  approved 


J 


ROCKWOOD  B. 


ROCKWOOD  D. 
(Section.)     < 


in  1907.  This  was  a  valve  sprinkler  with  a  silver  washer 
under  the  brass  valve  cap.  The  valve  was  held  in  place 
by  a  four-piece  strut  in  the  form  of  a  triangle  with  the 


LATER  DEVELOPMENTS,  ETC.  61 

vertical  member  a  little  off  center.  The  deflector  was  a 
"  double  decker,"  part  being  under  and  part  over  the 
main  casting.  This  head  was  slightly  modified  during 
the  next  two  years,  the  new  designs  being  known  as 
issue  B,  C  and  D.  In  the  issue  C  head  the  solder 
joint  was  strengthened.  In  the  issue  D  type  the  double 
deflector  was  abandoned  and  a  single  deflector  on  the 
outside  of  the  frame  was  substituted. 

This  head  was  originally  installed  by  the  Worcester 
Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  the  company  being  later  reor- 
ganized as  the  Rockwood  Sprinkler  Co.  The  head  is 
being  extensively  used  today  all  over  the  country.  The 
issue  A  type  gave  some  trouble  by  opening  prema- 
turely, on  account  of  the  weakness  of  the  solder  joint. 
These  were  practically  all  replaced  by  the  makers.  The 
other  types  are  entirely  satisfactory. 

Walworth.  This  sprinkler  was  very  extensively  used, 
especially  in  New  England,  from  the  time  it  was  in- 
vented, 1883,  down  to  1901.  There  are  nine  distinct 
types  recognized  besides  a  few  minor  modifications 
which  are  not  important. 

In  all  these  types  the  same  general  characteristics 
were  retained.  Up  to  1888  it  was  distinctly  a  pendent 
head  and  would  not  operate  properly  in  any  other  posi- 
tion. In  that  year  the  first  upright  heads  were  made, 
a  spring  being  inserted  to  throw  up  the  deflector  and 
hold  it  in  that  position.  In  1892  a  specially  designed 
upright  head,  known  as  No.  5,  was  made  in  which  the 
valve  was  held  closed  by  a  lever  with  an  upright  arm. 
The  deflector,  which  was  perfectly  smooth,  was  attached 
to  the  upper  part  of  the  frame. 

In  1894  this  head  was  improved  by  making  the  deflec- 
tor cup  shaped,  with  perforations  near  the  edge  and  by 
putting  on  a  double  link  to  lessen  the  danger  of  prema- 
ture opening. 

In  1898  the  pendent  head  was  improved  and  a  new 


62 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


head,  known  as  No.  8,  with  a  greatly  improved  deflector 
was  substituted.  The  next  year  the  upright  head  was 
improved  in  a  similar  manner.  All  the  later  types  had 
double  links  and  it  was  customary  to  wire  these  two 
links  together.  Occasionally  these  were  wired  on  the 
side  (long  dimension)  instead  of  on  the  end,  thus  bind- 
ing the  sliding  parts  together  and  preventing  the  proper 
operation  of  the  head. 

The  Walworth  head  was  generally  approved  by  local 
boards  and  the  Factory  Mutual  Insurance  Companies 
and  was  extensively  used  until  1901  when  the  Walworth 
Manufacturing  Co.  sold  the  sprinkler  business  to  the 
Manufacturers  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  and  the  head 
was  no  longer  made.  This  head  had  a  good  record  up 
to  about  1911  when  tests  showed  that  its  age  limit  had 
been  about  reached,  as  many  heads  that  were  tested 
about  that  time  either  stuck  or 
were  very  sluggish  in  action.  It 
did  not  resist  corrosion  as  well 
as  many  types  and  in  many  in- 
stances there  were  defects  in  work- 
manship. Numerous  cases  have 
been  discovered  where  high-test 
solder  was  carelessly  used  on  low- 
test  heads.  It  is  today  considered 
defective  and  is  being  very  gen- 
erally replaced. 

Esty.     This  head  was  patented 
by    William    Esty    of    Laconia, 
N.  H.,  in  1895.      It  was  a  valve 
sprinkler  with  a  solder  joint  of 
The  first  four  types,  known  as  the 


ESTY    5. 


and  "pin,"  were  ex- 


the  duck-bill  type. 

"plain,"  "corrugated,"  "knob, 

perimental  types  and  but  few  of  them  were  installed. 

In  1896  the  No.  5,  or  spring  type,  was  invented  in 

which  the  duck  bills  were  soldered  together  for  part  of 


LATER  DEVELOPMENTS,  ETC.  63 

their  length,  the  rest  of  the  surface  being  cut  out  to 
form  a  pocket  in  which  a  steel  spring  was  inserted. 
This  pocket  was  filled  with  wax  to  protect  the  spring 
against  corrosion. 

In  1903  the  head  was  slightly  modified  and  the  new 
type  was  known  as  No.  6. 

This  head  was  never  approved  by  the  Underwriters 
Laboratories.  The  issue  B  sprinkler  made  in  1912 
was  approved  and  this  type  has  been  extensively  in- 
stalled since  then. 

They  are  made  by  the  Esty  Sprinkler  Co.  of  Laconia, 
N.  H.,  and  are  installed  mostly  by  the 
H.    G.   Vogel    Co.   of    New   York   and 
Montreal. 

Babcock.    The  Babcock  sprinkler  was 
patented  by  E.  F.  Steck  of  Chicago  in 
1897.      It   was    installed    by    the    Fire  ^ 
Extinguisher     Manufacturing     Co.     of 
Chicago.    A  few  thousand  were  installed. 
After   a   few   years    these   heads   gave 
trouble  on  test  by  sticking  of  the  strut         BABCOCK. 
levers  and  sticking  at  the  seat  and  most 
of  them  were  removed.     The  head  was  of  modern  design, 
the  valve  disc  being  hollow,  and  held  in  place  by  a  strut. 

Grinnell.  The  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  is  per- 
haps the  best-known  sprinkler  company  in  the  country, 
and  in  fact  in  the  world.  There  have  been  more  Grin- 
nell sprinklers  than  any  other  make  installed  in  this 
country  and  they  are  very  extensively  used  abroad. 
Starting  with  the  Providence  Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Co.  —  a 
small  piping  concern  in  Providence,  R.  I. — Mr.  Frederick 
Grinnell,  by  his  ingenuity  as  an  inventor  and  ability  as 
an  organizer,  soon  made  the  company  famous  through- 
out the  world. 

In  1893  the  company  was  reorganized  as  the  General 
Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  with  offices  and  factory  at  Provi- 


64  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

dence,  R.  I.,  and  plants  at  Warren,  0.,  and  Charlotte, 
N.  C.,  Mather  &  Platt,  Ltd.,  were  appointed  agents  for 
Great  Britain  and.  the  continent  with  a  factory  at 
Manchester,  England. 

The  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  was  the  first  com- 
pany to  put  on  the  market  a  full  line  of  automatic 
sprinkler  system  devices  including,  besides  the  sprinkler 
head,  a  dry-pipe  valve  and  an  alarm  valve. 


GRINNELL  GLASS  Disc. 
View.  Section. 

The  four  types  of  Grinnell  metal  disc  sprinklers  were 
made  from  1882  to  '88,  and  were  all  similar  in  construc- 
tion. The  principal  differences  were  in  the  kind  of 
metal  used  for  the  valve  disc  and  the  width  and  shape  of 
the  seat  ring.  In  1890  the  Grinnell  glass  disc  sprinkler, 
which  is  essentially  the  same  as  the  head  now  used,  was 
invented.  This  was  quite  different  from  the  metal  disc 
heads  in  appearance  but  embodied  many  of  the  same 


LATER  DEVELOPMENTS,  ETC.  65 

principles.  The  same  style  of  diaphragm  was  used  but 
the  valve  cap,  instead  of  being  of  metal  and  seating  on 
a  raised  rim  formed  in  the  diaphragm,  was  of  glass  and 
projected  into  the  J-inch  hole  in  the  diaphragm.  The 


GRINNELL  SPRINKLERS  IN  A  DEPARTMENT  STORE.  PIPING  CON- 
CEALED AND  CEILING  DECORATED  BY  ROSETTES  OF  A  SIMILAR 
SHAPE  TO  A  SPRINKLER.  ROSETTES  OMITTED  AT  PROPER  PLACES 
AND  SPRINKLERS  SUBSTITUTED. 

diaphragm  was  made  thicker  so  that  it  needed  no  aux- 
iliary plate  to  prevent  collapse  when  the  pressure  was 
released.  The  glass  disc  was  semi-spherical  in  shape, 
the  curved  side  resting  in  the  orifice  and  the  flat  side 
being  protected  by  a  metal  cap.  The  orifice  was  faced 
with  hard  solder  so  that  a  tight  joint  could  readily  be 
secured. 


66  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

The  valve  was  held  in  place  by  a  strut  composed  of 
three  interlocking  pieces  of  metal  soldered  together. 
The  deflector  was  quite  small  in  diameter  and  had  a 
row  of  teeth  projecting  from  the  circumference  at  almost 
a  right  angle.  The  head  was  improved  in  1903  by  mak- 
ing the  frame  heavier  and  the  deflector  thicker  but  no 
change  was  made  in  the  principles  involved. 

The  head  is  especially  neat  and  symmetrical  in  ap- 
pearance and  is  particularly  well  adapted  for  decora- 
tive effects  with  concealed  piping.  It  has  now  been  on 
the  market  for  twenty-three  years  practically  in  its 
present  form  and  has  very  seldom  failed  to  operate 
from  the  effect  of  age  alone. 

The  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  has  absorbed  many 
of  its  competitors,  including  the  Neracher,  Hill,  Granger, 
Gray,  Star,  Jahn,  Swan  and  Harkness  companies. 

While  the  approved  sprinklers  of  today  may  not  be 
perfect  it  is  certain  that  they  have  been  developed  to  a 
point  where  there  is  little  in  the  way  of  improvements 
that  can  be  suggested.  The  test  of  time  may  show 
defects  that  cannot  now  be  predicted  but,  taken  as  a 
whole,  the  automatic  sprinkler  is  an  extremely  reliable 
device. 


CHAPTER  IV 

TESTS   AND   CHARACTERISTICS   OF 
SPRINKLERS 

WOODBURY  TESTS 

The  first  important  tests  upon  automatic  sprinklers 
made  by  the  insurance  interests  were  those  of  the  Factory 
Mutual  Fire  Ins.  Cos.  in  1884.  These  tests  were  made 
by  Mr.  C.  J.  H.  Woodbury,  Inspector,  and  afterwards 
Vice-President  of  the  Boston  Mfg.  Mutual  Ins.  Co., 
assisted  by  Mr.  F.  E.  Cabot,  Inspector  and  afterwards 
Secretary  of  the  Boston  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters. 
These  tests  were  extremely  comprehensive  and  were 
reported  in  a  pamphlet  covering  58  pages.  The  follow- 
ing heads  were  tested:  Parmelee  5,  Grinnell  "B,"  Brown 
standard  (sealed  type),  Brown  sensitive,  Walworth 
soldered  arm,  Walworth  solder  link,  Burritt  sealed  (rose 
type),  Burritt  sensitive  3,  Bishop  sealed  1,  Bishop  sealed 
1J,  Bishop  sealed  2,  Bishop  valve  deflector  with  cup  joint, 
Bishop  valve  deflector  with  conical  sleeve,  William  Kane 
Eclipse  2,  Harris  deflector,  Harris  closed,  Whiting 
Hub,  O.  C.  Heath  (revolving  head),  Ruthenburg. 

The  results  and  conclusions  are  summarized  as  follows : 

"  1st.  That  time  and  pressure  has  not  affected  the  strength  and 
fusion  point  of  the  solder  during  an  experience  of  twelve  years. 

2nd.  Portions  of  sprinklers  where  corrosion  might  interfere 
with  prompt  action  should  be  protected,  preferably  by  heavy 
mineral  oil. 

3rd.  The  distribution  of  water  between  three  and  thirty-six 
pounds  pressure  is  such  that  water  is  directed  upon  a  smooth  ceiling 
and  upon  each  square  foot  of  floor,  with  all  of  the  sprinklers  used 
in  these  experiments. 

67 


68  AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

4th.  The  concentration  of  water  at  the  beginning  of  a  fire  is 
greater  than  by  any  other  form  of  inside  apparatus. 

5th.  Where  tanks  are  used  for  a  first  supply  for  sprinklers,  the 
bottom  of  the  tank  ought  not  to  be  less  than  ten  feet  above  the 
sprinklers. 

Qth.  As  a  matter  of  practical  application,  sprinklers  have  worked 
at  131  mill  fires  in  seven  years  without  any  known  instance  of  their 
failure. 

7th.  The  results  of  the  experience  in  respect  to  automatic  sprink- 
lers demonstrate  that  their  efficiency  is  not  liable  to  become  impaired 
by  time,  and  prove  the  good  judgment  of  those  underwriters  who 
advocate  their  introduction  as  a  safeguard  against  loss. 

8th.  It  is  essential  that  valves  be  so  arranged  that  the  proper 
persons  can  readily  know  that  a  full-water  pressure  is  upon  the 
sprinklers.  Valves  with  traveling  stems  are  preferable  on  this 
account.  Valves  with  stationary  stems  can  be  fitted  to  show  their 
position  by  winding  around  the  valve  stem  a  line  with  a  weighted 
tag  at  the  end.  When  the  valve  is  open  or  shut,  the  tag  will  hang 
in  a  corresponding  extreme  position  of  the  line.  Left-hand  valves 
should  not  be  used  in  sprinklers.  It  is  well  to  secure  the  valves 
open  with  a  riveted  strap;  if  it  is  necessary  to  shut  the  valve  on 
account  of  mishap,  anybody  can  cut  it;  but  do  not  use  a  lock  and 
chain,  as  the  key  will,  in  the-  nature  of  things,  be  lost,  and  the  valve 
spindle  bent,  in  the  efforts  to  sunder  the  chain." 

Sensitiveness.  Tests  on  sensitiveness  were  made  as 
follows : 

"With  the  purpose  of  employing  a  method  which  would  give 
precise  results,  the  following  apparatus  was  devised  for  the  object 
of  learning  the  relative  sensitiveness  of  automatic  sprinklers  under 
pressure:  A  box  of  thirty  cubic  feet  capacity,  measuring  three  by 
four  feet,  and  two  and  a  half  feet  deep,  was  swung  top  downwards 
over  a  large  table.  A  Par  melee  sprinkler  head  projected  through 
the  center  of  the  table,  and  was  connected  with  a  piece  of  four-inch 
pipe  about  two  feet  long,  which  was  beneath  the  table,  and  capped 
at  both  ends.  Water  was  placed  in  the  lower  end,  and  connections 
were  made  with  a  steam  supply  and  a  steam  gauge.  This  arrange- 
ment served  to  furnish  a  supply  of  saturated  steam  at  any  desired 
pressure,  and  therefore  the  quantity  of  heat  and  its  temperature 
could  be  known  and  controlled.  The  sprinklers  were  screwed  into 
a  framework  of  fittings  which  was  placed  on  the  table,  so  that  the 
sprinklers  under  trial  were  about  two  feet  above  the  table.  The 


TESTS  AND   CHARACTERISTICS  OF  SPRINKLERS      69 


sprinklers  were  filled  with  water  at  the  temperature  of  the  room, 
and  weights  applied  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  equivalent  to  a  water 
pressure  of  fifteen  pounds  to  the  square  inch  upon  the  sprinklers. 
Electric  apparatus  was  attached,  so  that  when  any  sprinkler  opened, 
a  bell  corresponding  to  each  sprinkler  would  ring  in  an  adjoining 
room.  On  making  a  trial,  the  box  was  lowered  upon  the  table, 
and  the  temperature  increased  very  slowly  to  112  degrees,  and 
then  the  valve  was  opened  and  steam  blown  through  the  Parmelee 
sprinkler  head  into  the  box.  It  required  two  minutes  to  increase 
the  temperature  within  the  box  one  hundred  degrees,  and  the  circu- 
lation of  the  steam  was  so  rapid  that  thermometers  inserted  through 
orifices  in  various  parts  of  the  box  varied  less  than  one  degree  from 
each  other.  Although  this  was  not  the  heat  proceeding  directly 
from  a  fire  yet  it  enabled  the  use  of  constant  conditions,  and  the 
results  with  any  one  sprinkler,  as  given  in  the  record,  do  not  vary 
from  each  other  more  than  would  correspond  to  varying  masses 
of  solder  in  the  joint. " 

Tests  on  sensitiveness  showed  the  following  time  neces- 
sary to  open  the  different  heads.. 


Averages. 

Time  in 
seconds. 

With  Grinnell 
as  100. 

Grinnell  

15 

100 

Kane 

15 

103 

Walworth  link 

17 

116 

Bishop  sensitive,  with  cup 

18 

123 

Bishop  sensitive,  with  sleeve  
Brown  sensitive    . 

19 
21 

132 
140 

Burritt  sensitive  

26 

180 

Bishop  sealed  upright  

30 

202 

Walworth  soldered  

31 

212 

Bishop  sealed  deflector 

34 

236 

Burritt  rose,  open  base  

38 

260 

Parmelee 

52 

357 

Burritt  rose  (hard  solder) 

63 

432 

Brown  standard 

80 

548 

Harris  deflector  „  

85 

581 

Bursting  Strength.  The  tests  on  bursting  strength 
showed  a  wide  variation,  the  heads  leaking  at  from  70 
to  6000  pounds  per  square  inch.  Some  of  the  heads 
were  new  and  some  had  been  in  use  for  3  years  or  less. 


70 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Distribution.  The  tests  on  distribution  showed  that 
under  3,  13,  22  and  36  pounds  pressure  the  heads  ranked 
as  follows: 


3  pounds  per 
square  inch. 

13  pounds  per 
square  inch. 

22  pounds  per 
square  inch. 

36  pounds  per 
square  inch. 

Parmelee 

Parmelee 

Parmelee 

Parmelee. 

Grinnell 

Burritt  rose 

Burritt  rose 

Burritt  rose. 

Burritt  rose 

Grinnell 

Grinnell 

Grinnell. 

Kane 

Bishop    sealed   de- 

Brown sensitive 

Burritt  sensitive. 

flector 

Brown  sensitive 

Brown  sensitive 

Bishop  sealed  de- 

Kane. 

flector 

Grinnell  placed  up- 

Burritt sensitive 

Burritt  sensitive 

Brown  sensitive. 

right 
Bishop  upright 

Grinnell  placed  up- 

Grinnell placed  up- 

Bishop sealed    de- 

Burritt sensitive 
Bishop    sealed    de- 

right 
Walworth 
Kane 

right 
Bishop  upright 
Walworth 

flector. 
Bishop  upright. 
Walworth. 

flector 

Walworth 

Bishop  upright 

Kane 

Discharge.  The  cubic  feet  of  water  discharged  per 
minute  under  3,  20  and  50  pounds  pressure  including  5 
feet  of  J-inch  pipe  and  one  elbow  was  as  follows: 


Name. 

3  pounds. 

20  pounds. 

50  pounds. 

Parmelee 

0  83 

2  14 

3.38 

Burritt  rose   .    . 

.09 

2.81 

4.44 

Burritt  open  base  

.48 

3.82 

6.03 

Bishop  

.28 

3.29 

5.21 

Bishop  sealed  . 

.70 

4.38 

6.92 

Brown  standard 

06 

2.75 

4.35 

Heath 

01 

2.61 

4.12 

Whiting  (Hub) 

0.94 

2.41 

3.82 

Grinnell  .         

0.96 

2.48 

3.93 

Burritt  sensitive  

1.10 

2.83 

4.47 

Brown  sensitive  

1.20 

3.09 

4.88 

Walworth  

1.33 

3.43 

5.42 

Bishop  (valve) 

1.65 

4.25 

6.72 

Kane  (Eclipse). 

1.07 

2.76 

4.36 

Harris  deflector  

1.26 

3.26 

5.16 

Harris  (closed)  

0.90 

2.31 

?.65 

Ruthenburg 

1  30 

3.35 

^>.29 

TESTS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  SPRINKLERS     71 

The  following  is  also  noted: 

"Sealed  sprinklers  should  not  be  connected  directly  to  distributing 
pipes,  in  the  manner  of  valve  sprinklers,  because  the  circulation  of 
water  after  one  sprinkler  has  opened  is  sufficient  to  cool  the  sprinkler 
and  prevent  the  prompt  operation  of  the  remaining  sprinklers;  and 
it  is  only  when  placed  at  the  ends  of  branch  pipes  in  the  proper 
manner,  that  sealed  automatic  sprinklers  should  be  approved  for 
protection  against  fire."  • 

SPRINKLER   SOLDER 

It  might  be  well  to  describe  here  the  low-fusing  solder 
used  in  automatic  sprinklers  as  it  has  been  practically 
the  same  in  all  makes  from  the  earliest  heads  to  those 
of  modern  times.  Strange  to  say  there  has  been  prac- 
tically no  improvement  in  this  detail  of  sprinkler  con- 
struction, perhaps  because  none  was  needed.  It  was 
Sir  Isaac  Newton,  in  1699,  who  first  discovered  that  cer- 
tain alloys  possessed  a  lower  melting  point  than  their 
constituents.  He  devised  a  mixture  of  bismuth  5  parts, 
lead  3  parts,  and  tin  2  parts,  which  melted  at  212°  F. 

Barnabas  Wood  of  Nashville,  Tenn.,  took  out  a 
patent  in  1860  upon  which  the  composition  of  sprinkler 
solder  was  afterwards  based.  The  usual  formula  is: 

Bismuth 4  parts 

Lead ; 2  parts 

Cadmium 1  part 

Tin 1  part 

This  has  a  melting  point  of  about  165°  F.,  though 
it  granulates  a  few  degrees  lower.  Woodbury  in  his 
tests  found  that  when  a  mass  of  this  solder  is  cooled 
slowly  there  will  be  a  variation  in  the  different  portions 
of  the  bar,  due  to  the  tendency  of  mixtures  of  metals 
to  separate  into  well-defined  alloys. 

He  tested  19  samples  of  solder  from  nine  manufac- 
turers and  found  the  melting  points  of  the  low-test  solder 
varied  from  161  to  172  degrees.  Solder  cooled  in  ice 
water  began  to  soften  at  6  degrees  lower  temperature 


72  AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

than  when  cooled  slowly.  He  also  found  a  variation 
of  from  2  to  26  degrees  between  the  point  at  which 
the  solder  softened  and  at  which  it  actually  melted. 

By  changing  the  proportions  of  the  above  formula 
slightly,  a  melting  point  of  159.8°  can  be  obtained.  Lower 
melting  temperatures  can  be  obtained  by  adding  an 
excess  of  bismuth  but  this  makes  the  solder  too  brittle. 
The  above  formula  gives  the  lowest  melting  point  that 
is  sufficiently  hard,  ductile  and  permanent  for  sprinkler 
work. 

The  melting  points  of  the  constituents  are: 

Cadmium 600°  F. 

Lead 504°  F. 

Bismuth 476°  F. 

Tin 421°  F. 

LEAKAGE 

The  matter  of  leakage  from  sprinkler  heads  has  been 
an  important  consideration  ever  since  sprinklers  were 
first  installed.  It  was  frequently  used  as  an  argument 
by  mill  owners  against  installing  the  device,  and  the 
comparatively  few  cases  where  trouble  did  occur  were 
brought  forward  to  support  the  argument.  The  matter 
was  investigated  by  the  Factory  Mutual  Fire  Insurance 
Cos.  in  1885.  Letters  were  sent  to  plants  equipped  with 
sprinklers  and  replies  were  received  as  follows: 

Total  number  of  replies  received  224. 

Number  of  leaks  not  due  to  accident 22 

Number  causing  no  damage 16 

Number  causing  slight  damage _J> 

22 

Number  of  leaks  caused  by  accident •    41 

Number  causing  no  damage 27 

Number  causing  slight  damage 14 

41    ,    _ 
Total  number  of  leaks 63 

Many  of  the  older  heads  developed  slight  leaks  which 
did  no  damage.  A  large  part  of  these  old  heads  were 


TESTS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  SPRINKLERS      73 

adjustable  so  that  when  they  began  to  leak  the  valve 
could  readily  be  tightened. 


FIRE  RECORD 

A  record  of  fires  in  buildings  equipped  with  sprinklers 
and  buildings  not  so  equipped  was  tabulated  by  the 
same  organization.  In  the  sprinklered  class  only  fires 
starting  in  sections  equipped  with  sprinklers  were  in- 
cluded. The  results  were  as  follows: 

1877-1887    1877-1894 

Average  loss  per  fire  —  sprink- 
lered buildings $1,081  (205  fires)  $1,360 

Average  loss  per  fire  —  unsprink- 

lered  buildings $17,613  (759  fires)  $16,104 

Mr.  Woodbury  states  in  his  report  that  sprinklers  of 
the  sensitive  type  cause  less  water  damage  than  those 
of  the  sealed  type  because  fewer  of  the  former  operate. 

Fire  Record  of  Old  Heads.  The  record  of  some  of  the 
earlier  types  of  sprinklers  in  actual  fires  between  1877 
and  1885  was  tabulated  in  his  report  as  follows: 


Head. 

Number  of 
fires. 

Loss  per 
fire. 

Wai  worth  

6 

$2487 

Harris  

3 

972 

Brown  

3 

4040 

Barnes  

3 

611 

Kane  

2 

45 

Parmelee  

83 

262 

Grinnell 

102 

112 

Burritt 

17 

1207 

LATER  MUTUAL  TESTS 

A  second  series  of  tests  was  made  in  1886  and  was 
also  in  charge  of  Mr.  Woodbury.  The  tests  on  sensitive- 
ness were  made  by  placing  the  heads  in  a  building  20  by 
30  feet  and  10  feet  high.  Six  sprinklers  were  installed 


74  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

on  piping  near  the  roof,  under  a  pressure  of  35  to  40 
pounds.  They  were  subjected  to  heat  from  a  fire  con- 
sisting of  i  barrel  of  shavings  to  which  excelsior  was 
added  if  necessary.  The  time  necessary  to  open  the 
different  heads  under  these  conditions  was  as  follows: 

Grinnell 1  minute,      4  seconds 

Granger 1  minute,    33  seconds 

Gunn 1  minute,    34  seconds 

Star 4  minutes,  36  seconds 

Kane  (Excelsior) 6  minutes,  12  seconds 

Walworth 6  minutes,  55  seconds 

Braman  Dow  (Jordan) 7  minutes,  38  seconds 

Buell,  stuck  in  3  cases  out  of  5. 

Kane  (reversible),  stuck  in  1  case  out  of  4. 


APPROVED   SPRINKLERS 

The  approved  list  of  the  Mutuals  in  1886  included 
the  following:  •  Grinnell,  Buell,  Kane,  Walworth  and 
Gunn.  Later  the  Clapp,  Neracher  and  Hill  heads  were 
added.  Those  approved  in  1894- were:  Grinnell,  Hill, 
Neracher,  Clapp,  Wm.  Kane  (all  put  in  by  the  General 
Fire  Extinguisher  Co.),  Esty,  Walworth,  J.  Kane,  Newton 
and  Kersteter. 

The  heads  approved  by  the  New  England  Insurance 
Exchange  were  as  follows : 

In  1892,  Buell,  Grinnell  (metal  and  glass  disc  types), 
Harkness,  Hill,  Kane,  Neracher,  Mackey,  New  York  & 
New  Haven,  Walworth. 

In  1896  the  Buell,  Harkness,  New  York  &  New  Haven 
had  been  taken  off  the  approved  list  and  the  Newton 
and  Esty  added. 

In  1900  the  following  heads  had  been  added:  Jahn, 
Hibbard,  Babcock  and  Universal. 

List  of  approved  sprinklers  of  the  National  Board  of 
Fire  Underwriters,  Jan.,  1918: 


TESTS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  SPRINKLERS     75 

Crowder,  A,  Crowder  Bros.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Esty,  B,  Esty  Sprinkler  Co.,  H.  G.  Vogel,  sole  agents, 

New  York  City. 
Globe,   C,    Globe   Automatic   Sprinkler   Company, 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Grinnell,  Improved,  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co., 

Providence,  R.  I. 
Independent,  A,  Independent  Min&  Sprinkler  Co., 

Philadelphia,  Pa. 
International,  B,  International  Sprinkler  Co.,  New 

York  City. 

Lapham,  B,  Ohio  Sprinkler  Co.,  Yoiingstown,  Ohio. 
Manufacturers,   C,  Automatic  Sprinkler  Company 

of  America,  New  York  City. 
Neracher,  Improved,  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co., 

Providence,  R.  I. 
Niagara,  B,  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  of  America, 

New  York  City. 
Rockwood,  D,  Rockwood  Sprinkler  Co.,  Worcester, 

Mass. 


SIZE  OF  ORIFICE 

The  J-inch  diaphragm  or  ring-nozzle  outlet  has  been 
taken  for  the  standard  and  practically  all  sprinklers  as 
made  today  comply  with  this  standard.  A  few  heads 
with  1-inch  outlets,  called  jumbo  heads,  have  been  made 
for  use  at  the  top  of  elevators  and  similar  places  but 
these  heads  are  much  less  sensitive  and  it  is  considered 
better  practice  today  to  install  several  smaller  ones  in 
place  of  one  large  head.  There  is  a  slight  difference  in 
the  discharge  from  the  different  makes  of  heads  but  the 
following  table  gives  a  fair  average. 


76 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 
DISCHARGE  FROM  SPRINKLERS 


Pressure  at 
sprinkler,  pounds. 

Water  discharged, 
gallons. 

5 

15 

10 

19 

15 

24 

20 

28 

25 

31 

Failures  from  Age.  The  limit  of  life  of  a  sprinkler 
is  something  that  is  generally  overlooked  by  the  prop- 
erty owner  who  puts  in  an  equipment.  It  is  quite 
commonly  assumed  that  so  long  as  no  fire  occurs  they 
have  no  work  to  do  and  should  last  indefinitely.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  they  are  called  upon  to  do  work  all  the 
time,  namely,  to  hold  back  the  water  pressure  in  the 
pipes,  and  like  any  other  machine  they  have  a  limited 
life.  One  reason  for  this  misconception  is  the  fact  that 
sprinklers  do  not  show  their  age  and  defects  to  the  casual 
observer.  A  head  that  has  been  in  use  for  20  years 
may  appear  to  be  as  good  as  new  except  that  it  is  not 
so  bright  and  clean;  yet  when  it  is  heated  it  may  be 
found  that  owing  to  the  constant  strain,  the  metal  has 
lost  its  elasticity  or  certain  parts  may  have  stuck  together 
so  that  it  will  not  operate. 

The  greatest  number  of  failures  in  old  sprinklers  are 
those  due  to  sticking  of  the  valve  where  some  soft  metal 
like  lead  has  been  used  for  a  valve  disc.  The  disc  be- 
comes so  indented  that  it  may  require  a  pressure  of 
100  pounds  or  more  to  force  it  off  especially  when  the 
orifice  has  a  sharp  edge  or  burr. 

All  the  Grinnell  metal  disc  sprinklers  used  lead  or 
some  similar  soft  metal  for  the  valve  disc  but  after  a 
very  successful  career  of  from  20  to  30  years  they  have 
been  found  in  such  an  unsatisfactory  condition  that  they 
have  all  been  condemned  as  defective.  The  Walworth 


TESTS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  SPRINKLERS      77 

head  contained  a  lead  valve  disc  covered  with  a  copper 
washer.  This  was  certainly  better  than  lead  alone,  yet 
after  giving  good  service  for  10  to  25  years  many  of 
them  have  been  found  to  stick  at  the  seat  so  as  to  utterly 
fail  on  test. 

Perhaps  the  next  most  important  defect  is  the  design 
that  allows  of  the  slow  opening  of  a  head  and  does  not 
protect  the  solder  joint  from  water  leaking  from  the 
head.  Unless  the  sprinkler  opens  promptly  and  with  a 
snap,  a  small  stream  of  water  is  liable  to  be  liberated 
when  the  head  starts  to  open  that  may  strike  the  solder 
joint  and  chill  it.  This  would  ordinarily  cause  a  com- 
plete failure  of  the  head.  This  has  occurred  in  many 
of  the  older  heads  where  the  parts  are  liable  to  lose  their 
elasticity,  notably  the  Walworth.  Any  joint  where 
there  is  considerable  sliding  action  before  it  parts  is 
undesirable  for  this  reason. 

Sticking  and  binding- of  the  movable  parts  after  the 
solder  has  fused  is  another  important  defect  that  develops 
in  many  of  the  older  designs.  This  is  due  to  imperfect 
design  and  workmanship  but  is  much  less  noticeable 
in  modern  heads.  This  has  occurred  in  some  of  the 
earlier  types  of  Manufacturers  heads,  in  the  Newton 
head  and  in  the  Grinnell  metal  disc  heads. 

Another  feature  that  has  caused  a  great  many  heads 
to  open  prematurely  is  the  tendency  of  the  solder  joint 
to  give  way  owing  to  excessive  strain  on  the  soft  solder. 
This  feature  is  often  difficult  to  judge  without  the  test 
of  time  although  the  laboratories  are  able  to  imitate 
the  actual  conditions  upon  an  exaggerated  scale  so 
that  the  results  can  be  observed  in  a  comparatively 
short  time.  Sprinkler  solder  is  soft  and  will  not  with- 
stand heavy  tension  and  shearing  strains.  It  is  also 
more  or  less  viscous  and  will  flow  very  slowly,  like  a 
glacier,  when  under  strain.  It  is  necessary  therefore 
to  arrange  the  leverage  of  the  releasing  parts  so  that 


78  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

the  solder  will  not  be  overstrained  and  yet  will  be  under 
sufficient  strain  to  allow  a  quick  sharp  action  when  it 
fuses. 

Limit  of  Age.  It  is  difficult  to  give  any  reliable  data 
as  to  the  limit  of  age  of  sprinklers  as  different  types 
vary  greatly  and  heads  of  the  same  type  vary  in  differ- 
ent localities  and  under  different  conditions.  In  gen- 
eral it  may  be  said  that  for  heads  in  dry,  clean,  locations 
not  subject  to  corrosive  influences  the  earlier  types  re- 
mained in  good  condition  for  about  10  years.  Heads 
of  a  later  date,  made  from  20  to  25  years  ago,  were 
mostly  in  good  condition  for  20  years.  Modern  ap- 
proved heads  have  not  been  in  use  long  enough  to  allow 
the  effects  of  age  to  develop  but  it  seems  probable  that 
they  will  last  much  longer  than  those  of  the  older  types. 
Corrosion.  There  are  many  corrosive  influences 
which  affect  sprinklers,  amongst  .which  are  nitric  and 
hydrochloric  acids,  chlorine,  sulphurous 
and  ammonia  fumes.  Some  forms  of 
'  fiyflft  corrosion  act  on  the  surface  of  the  solder, 

coating  it  with  a  hard  crust  which  holds 
the  moving  parts  together  and  prevents 
the   solder   from   flowing   after   it   has 
melted.     Other  forms   act  on  some  of 
j     the  ingredients  of  the  solder,  generally 
the  bismuth  or  cadmium,  changing  them 
CORRODED   WAL-   chemically  and  making  the  whole  mass 
WORTH  SPRINK-   of  golder  hard  and  brittle.     The  most 
active  forms  attack  the  whole  sprinkler, 
forming  a  heavy  coating  which   prevents  the  moving 
parts  from  being  released. 

Certain  of  the  older  types  of  sprinklers  like  the  Wai- 
worth,  Draper  and  old  Manufacturers  were  especially 
susceptible  to  corrosion,  but  all  heads  on  the  approved 
list  today  are  constructed  so  as  to  reduce  the  chances 
of  trouble  from  this  source  to  a  minimum. 


TESTS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  SPRINKLERS      79 

There  have  been  many  plans  suggested  for  prevent- 
ing corrosion  of  sprinklers  including  painting  and  coat- 
ing with  various  kinds  of  wax.  Paint  is  undesirable 
as  it  tends  to  cause  sticking  of  the  moving  parts.  Wax 
coatings  have  proved  quite  satisfactory  where  the  right 
kind  of  wax  was  used,  and  when  it  was  properly  applied. 
It  should  have  a  melting  point  below  that  of  the  fusible 
solder  and  yet  not  so  low  that  it  will  soften  or  run  in 
hot  weather.  Paraffine  has  been  used  but  it  has  too 
low  a  melting  point.  A  preparation  of  ozokerite  (min- 
eral wax)  has  been  found  most  satisfactory  and  most 
of  the  sprinkler  companies  now  supply  a  coating  of  this 
kind.  The  head  is  dipped  in  hot  wax,  care  being  taken 
that  this  is  hot  enough  so  that  it  will  cover  the  head 
evenly  and  yet  not  so  hot  that  it  will 
melt  the  solder.  The  heads  should 
be  carefully  treated  and  it  is  much 
safer  to  leave  this  work  to  the  manu- 
facturers. In  screwing  the  head  into 
the  fitting  this  coating  is  apt  to 
become  cracked  or  broken  and  it 
is  necessary  to  go  over  all  broken 
places  with  a  hot  knife  in  order  to 
make  the  coating  complete  and  effec- 
tive. If  this  is  carefully  done  the 
head  should  last  for  many  years, 
even  in  very  corrosive  locations. 

No  coating  has  yet  been  put  on  GRINNELL  SPRINKLER 
the  market  that  is  suitable  for  high-  WITH 
test  heads  in  hot  places.  The  Gen- 
eral Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  has  recently  put  out  a  glass- 
covered  head,  which  is  a  modification  of  a  former  device 
of  the  same  company,  and  which  seems  to  fill  a  long  felt 
want.  The  frame  of  the  sprinkler  has  been  enlarged  to 
make  room  for  a  groove  in  the  circular  casting  outside 
the  arms.  This  groove  is  filled  with  a  thick  non-drying 


80  AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

grease  and  an  oval-shaped  glass  flask,  which  covers  the 
upper  part  of  the  head,  fits  into  this  groove,  making 
a  corrosion-tight  joint.  When  properly  installed  this 
is  very  effective  in  preventing  corrosion  and  can  be 
used  on  high-  as  well  as  low-test  heads.  The  heat 
radiates  through  the  glass  so  rapidly  that  the  melting 
point  of  the  head  is  only  raised  a  few  degrees.  When 
the  head  fuses,  the  pressure  of  the  water  throws  off 
the  glass  cover. 

Painting.  Both  paint  and  whitewash  seriously  affect 
the  operation  of  sprinklers  and  the  moving  parts  should 
never  be  coated  with  these  materials.  If  a  ceiling  is 
to  be  painted  with  a  spraying  machine,  the  sprinklers 
can  be  covered  with  small  paper  bags  during  the 
operation. 

Rotating  Deflectors.  In  many  of  the  older  heads  the 
deflectors  were  made  to  rotate  when  the  stream  from 
the  orifice  struck  them,  in  order  to 
improve  the  distribution.  In  modern 
heads  the  deflectors  have  been  so  per- 
fected that  this  is  no  longer  necessary. 
In  fact,  it  is  now  considered  "an  un- 
desirable feature  because  the  vibration 
in  certain  buildings,  like  weave  sheds, 
will  set  the  deflector  in  motion  and  this 

constant  motion  will  frequently  wear 
ESTT    SPRINKLER     ,,  ,      ,,      ,,         *,         , 

WITH  DEFLECTOR     the  Parts  SO  badl7  that  the^  become 

WORN  BY  VIBRA-    loose    and    defective.      A   number   of 

TION.  sprinklers  have  been  taken  from  the 

weave  sheds  of  cotton  mills  where  the 

deflectors   were   missing,   having    been  so    badly  worn 

by  constant  vibration  that  they  dropped  off.     In  the 

case  of  one  upright  Esty  head  the  deflector  was  almost 

cut  through  by  becoming  loose  and  dropping  onto  the 

sharp   duck-bill   lever   which   holds   the   valve   disc   in 

place. 


TESTS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  SPRINKLERS      81 

Valve  Discs.  Mr.  C.  J.  H.  Woodbury,  in  his  first 
report  on  automatic  sprinklers  in  1884,  stated  that 
"  Lead  is  the  only  material  which  has  been  used  with 
success  in  sensitive  automatic  sprinklers "  for  valve 
discs.  The  test  of  time  has  thrown  an  unexpected  light 
on  this  subject,  for  the  experience  of  35  years  has  shown 
that  this  is  one  of  the  few  metals  that  is  not  suitable 
for  this  purpose.  The  art  of  sprinkler  construction  has 
advanced  so  that  it  is  entirely  practical  to  make  a  tight 
joint  with  a  harder  metal  that  will  afford  much  less 
chance  for  sticking.  Brass  against  brass  is  not  entirely 
satisfactory  as  it  is  hard  to  keep  the  joint  tight.  The 
most  successful  valve  discs  have  been  glass,  as  used  in 
the  Grinnell  head;  porcelain  with  a  copper  and  lead 
washer,  as  used  in  the  Manufacturers  head;  brass  with 
silver  washer,  as  in  the  Rockwood ;  and  brass  with  copper 
washer, -as  used  in  the  International  and  other  heads. 

High-test  Heads.  The  ordinary  sprinkler  has  a 
melting  point  of  about  160°  F.  Experience  teaches  that 
it  is  not  safe  to  install  such  heads  in  locations  where 
the  temperature  frequeAtly  exceeds  110°  F.  This  is 
because  at  this  temperature  the  solder  is  more  subject 
to  cold  flow  than  at  lower  temperatures  so  that  in  the 
course  of  years  the  head  is  liable  to  open.  It  is,  of  course, 
frequently  necessary  to  install  sprinklers  in  rooms  that 
are  hotter  than  this,  so  that  high-fusing  sprinklers  are 
necessary.  In  the  early  days  each  manufacturer  made 
the  high-test  melting  points  to  meet  his  own  ideas  and 
there  was  considerable  variation.  The  Walworth  Com- 
pany, for  instance,  used  solders  melting  at  approxi- 
mately 200°  F.  and  300°  F.  Many  of  the  older  heads 
were  unmarked  and  some  were  incorrectly  marked  and 
were  therefore  liable  to  be  incorrectly  installed.  The 
General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  early  adopted  the  follow- 
ing melting  points  which  have  now  become  universal: 
212°,  286°  and  360°  F. 


82  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

A  safe  rule  for  installing  high-test  heads  is  to  allow 
60  to  80  degrees  leeway.  That  is,  if  the  temperature 
in  the  room  exceeds  100°  F.,  but  does  not  exceed  160°  F., 
use  212°  heads.  This  head  is  usually  safe  in  boiler 
rooms,  hot  engine  rooms  and  skylights.  If  the  tem- 
perature exceeds  160°  F.  but  does  not  exceed  210°  F., 
use  a  286°  head.  This  is  suitable  for  most  dry  rooms. 
If  the  temperature  exceeds  210°  F.,  use  a  360°  head. 

The  286°  head  is  slow  in  operation  and  therefore 
somewhat  unreliable.  It  should  never  be  used  unless 
absolutely  necessary  and  even  then  the  protection 
cannot  be  considered  first  class.  There  are  several 
cases  on  record  where  disastrous  fires  have  occurred  in 
rooms  equipped  with  these  heads,  where  the  only  prob- 
able explanation  was  the  slowness  of  the  heads  in 
operating. 

The  360°  heads  give  but  poor  protection  and  should 
only  be  used  in  rare  cases  where  a  very  high  tempera- 
ture is  maintained,  such  as  in  extra  hot  dry  rooms. 

The  Underwriters'  Laboratories  and  the  Factory 
Mutual  Laboratories  require  all  high-test  heads  to  be 
plainly  marked  to  show  their  operating  point,  both  by 
stamping  this  temperature  on  the  head  arid  by  paint- 
ing the  frame  with  a  distinguishing  color.  For  212° 
heads,  white  is  used;  for  286°  heads,  blue;  and  for 
360°,  red. 

Defective  Heads  in  Use.  Amongst  the  heads  that 
are  found  to  some  slight  extent  in  risks  today  and  that 
should  be,  in  general,  considered  defective  are: 

Grinnell  —  metal  disc. 

Walworth  —  all  types. 

Manufacturers  A. 

Mackey  —  all  types. 

Babcock. 

Hibbard  —  certain  types. 

Hill. 

Buell  —  all  types. 

Newton. 


TESTS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  SPRINKLERS     83 

Cost  of  Equipments.  The  cost  per  head  of  equipping 
a  building  with  sprinklers  has  gone  up  very  rapidly  the 
last  few  years;  while  formerly  an  equipment  could  be 
put  in  for  $3.00  to  $4.00  a  head,  the  cost  today  is  nearer 
$10.00  a  head.  This  is  due  to  an  increase  both  in  stock 
and  in  labor  and  is  probably  a  temporary  condition. 

The  type  of  building  has  considerable  effect  on  the 
price  "and  under  some  conditions  the  cost  may  go  up  to 
$15.00  or  $20.00  a  head. 

Extra  sprinklers  cost  about  $1.00  each. 


TESTS  FOR  ACCEPTANCE 

Up  to  1901  the  testing  and  approving  of  sprinklers 
was  done  by  the  local  insurance  boards,  and  bureaus. 
As  the  art  of  making  and  installing  the  device  improved 
and  as  their  success  in  extinguishing  and  holding  fires 
became  more  marked,  the  insurance  interests  were  will- 
ing to  give  more  and  more  discount  in  rates  for  the  in- 
stallation of  sprinklers.  It  was  evident  from  the  first 
that  some  makes  had  more  merit  than  others  and  that 
only  those  that,  after  careful  and  disinterested  tests,  were 
found  to  be  free  from  important  defects  should  be  given 
credit.  The  local  boards  who  made  the  rates  therefore 
found  it  necessary  to  make  tests  on  the  different  heads 
submitted  before  they  could  properly  pass  on  their 
merits.  This  resulted  in  a  good  deal  of  confusion  for 
a  head  approved  in  one  territory  might  be  barred  out  in 
the  adjoining  territory. 

In  1901  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  of  Chicago 
began  the  testing  of  sprinklers  and  other  fire  appliances. 
They  took  up  the  work  in  a  much  more  thorough  and 
systematic  manner  than  had  ever  before  been  attempted, 
and  their  findings,  as  promulgated  by  the  National 
Board  of  Fire  Underwriters,  were  almost  universally 


84  AtTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

adopted  by  the  local  organizations.  This  and  the  draw- 
ing up  of  rules  for  the  installation  of  sprinklers  by  the 
National  Fire  Protection  Association  in  1896  were  the  two 
greatest  steps  ever  taken  toward  uniformity  in  the  auto- 
matic sprinkler  industry. 


REQUIREMENTS  FOR  CONSTRUCTION  OF 
AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLERS 

The  following  rules  for  the  construction  of  an  auto- 
matic sprinkler  head  give  a  fairly  complete  outline  of 
the  requirements  which  an  approved  head  should  fulfill. 

1.  Discharge  Capacity.     As  a  basis  for  these  rules,  it  is  required 
that  each  automatic  sprinkler  have  an  unobstructed  outlet  of  such 
size  and  form  that  with  5  pounds  pressure  maintained  at  the  sprink- 
ler, it  will  discharge  approximately  12  gallons  per  minute. 

2.  Pressure   Test.     An  automatic  sprinkler  upon  original  test 
must  not  leak  at  or  under  a  pressure  of  300  pounds  hydrostatic 
pressure. 

3.  Water  Hammer  Test.     Sprinklers  upon  original  test  must  not 
burst  or  leak  by  suddenly  increasing  the  pressure  from  0  to  300 
pounds,  repeated  500  or  more  times. 

4.  Fusing  Point.     An  automatic  sprinkler  when  intended  for 
ordinary  use  must,  when  immersed  in  hot  fluid,  fuse  at  not  less 
than  155°  F.,  nor  more  than  165°  F.     Head  not  to  be  under  pres- 
sure in  this  test.     "Hard  heads,"  in  like  manner,  must  fuse  at  not 
less  than  275°  F.  or  more  than  300°  F.     The  fusing  point  of  solder 
should  not  change  with  age. 

5.  Action  in  Opening.     On  original  test  an  automatic  sprinkler  on 
fusing  must  open  without  perceptible  halt  or  hesitation  at  any  point 
of  the  opening  action.     All  freed  parts  must  be  thrown  clear.     This 
test  to  be  made  without  subjecting  the  sprinkler  to  pressure,  or 
depending  upon  the  action  of  a  coiled  spring. 

6.  Position.     An  automatic  sprinkler  must  be  designed  to  open 
and  spray  satisfactorily  in  an  upright  or  pendent  position. 

7.  Distribution  of  Water  from  Sprinklers.     Sprinkler  upright  or 
pendent  with  deflector  4  to  6  inches  below  smooth  ceiling  and 
10  feet  above  smooth  floor: 


TESTS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  SPRINKLERS      85 

(a)  Shall,  under  5-pound  nozzle  pressure,  wet  ceiling  over  an 
area  of  not  less  than  3  to  4  feet  in  diameter. 

(6)  Shall,  when  under  5-pound  nozzle  pressure,  throw  approx- 
imately 90  per  cent  of  water  inside  an  area  10  feet  square  on 
floor. 

(c)  Shall,  when  under  50-pound  pressure,  throw  not  less  than 
75  per  cent  of  water  inside  the  10  feet  square  area. 

(d)  Distribution  in  both  above  tests  to  be  approximately 
uniform  over  the  10  feet  square  area. 

(e)  Water  should  not  be  cut  up  into  fine  spray. 

(/)  Rotary  deflectors  are  allowable,  but  the  distribution 
must  be  satisfactory  with  deflector  fixed. 

(g)  The  distribution  in  any  direction  shall  not  be  obstructed 
by  yoke,  levers  or  other  parts  of  sprinkler. 

8.  Materials.  Automatic  sprinklers  must  contain  no  iron,  steel 
or  fibrous  material  subject  to  the  effect  of  corrosion. 

The  following  is  a  brief  summary  of  the  tests  and 
examinations  made  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories 
on  new  sprinklers  submitted  for  approval. 

TEST  SPECIFICATIONS  — AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLERS 

1.  Hydrostatic  Pressure. 

(a)  Leakage.     Heads  are  tested  under  a  hydrostatic 
pressure  ram  with  gage  readings  from  0  to  2400  pounds. 
Readings  are  taken  of  leaking  points  and  any  heads  leak- 
ing under  300  pounds  are  noted.     Similar  readings  are 
taken  at  intervals  of  30  to  300  days. 

(b)  Steady  Pressure.     Heads  are  put  under  a  constant 
pressure  of  300  pounds  for  3700  hours  (154. days),  and 
any  leakage  noted. 

(c)  Water  Hammer.     Sprinklers  are  placed  on  piping 
connected  to  a  cylinder  with  a  plunger.     A  weight  is 
dropped  onto  the  plunger  from  a  predetermined  point. 

2.  Hot-air  Oven.      Tests  are  made  in  a  cylindrical 
water-jacketed  copper  gas  heated  oven.      Diameter  10 
inches,  height  30  inches.     Heads  attached  to  pipe  and 
tested  under  a  hydrostatic  water  pressure  of  5  pounds. 


86 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 
RATE  OF  HEATING 


Time. 

Temperature. 

0 

100 

1 

150      . 

2 

190 

3 

218 

4 

235 

5 

250 

Clean  heads  are  tested  and  also  heads  subjected  to 
ammonia  fumes,  sulphurous  fumes,  chlorine  fumes, 
hydrochloric  acid  fumes,  nitric  acid  fumes,  two  coats 
white  lead  and  boiled  oil,  four  coats  shellac,  three  coats 
asphaltum,  two  coats  calcine. 

For  corrosion  of  seats  a  saturated  solution  of  sal 
ammoniac  under  5  pounds  pressure  is  held  against  the 
seats  during  a  period  of  30  days  and  the  head  is  then 
dried.' 

3.  Hot  Fluid. 

(a)  Fusing  Point  in  Water.  Heads  are  immersed  in 
1  gallon  of  water  and  temperature  raised  gradually  to 
100°  F.  Temperature  is  then  raised  at  a  rate  not  exceed- 
ing 2°  F.  per  minute.  Opening  temperature  of  sprink- 
ler is  noted. 

(6)  Plunge  in  Water.  Heads  are  allowed  to  stand  at 
least  1  hour  in  water  of  60°  F.  Then  removed  and  im- 
mersed in  a  water  bath  at  175°  F.  Time  of  fusing  under 
these  conditions  noted.  High-test  heads  are  tested  in  a 
similar  manner  in  melted  leaf  lard. 

4.  Intermittent  Flame.     Heads   are  tested  under  5 
pounds  hydrostatic  pressure  by  gas  flame,  10  inches  long, 
coming  from  a  1-inch  orifice  under  6-inch  pressure  applied 
intermittently.     Record  taken  of  the  number  of  applica- 
tions of  flame  before  heads  open. 

5.  Distribution.      Heads  are   tested  under  5  and  25 
pounds  nozzle  pressure  and  record  made  of  the  diameter 


TESTS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  SPRINKLERS     87 

of  circle  wet  on  ceiling  and  on  floor;  also  per  cent  of 
water  falling  within  a  10-foot  circle,  etc. 

6.  Design  and  Construction.     Heads  are  examined  for 
effect  of  blows,  effects  of  excessive  tension  and  com- 
pression, uniformity  of  parts  and  workmanship. 

7.  Record  in  Service.     Includes  number  in  service, 
length  of  time  in  service  and  record. 


CHAPTER  V 
INSTALLATION  RULES 

The  rules  of  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters 
for  the  installation  of  automatic  sprinklers  are  the  stand- 
ard for  all  stock  companies  interests  in  the  country. 
The  rules  of  the  Associated  Factory  Mutuals  are  prac- 
tically identical. 

These  rules  give  in  detail  the  information  necessary 
for  the  proper  installation  of  sprinkler  equipments  and 
as  they  are  subject  to  revision  every  few  years  care 
should  be  taken  to  use  the  latest  edition.  In  the  follow- 
ing pages  an  attempt  is  made  to  give  all  the  essential 
rules,  and  in  many  cases  the  reasons  therefor,  in  a 
form  that  is  less  technical  and  perhaps  more  easily  under- 
stood by  the  beginner,  than  that  in  the  pamphlet  of  the 
National  Board. 

GENERAL  INFORMATION  —  SECTION  A 

Buildings  vary  greatly  in  their  adaptability  to  sprink- 
ler protection  and  some  buildings  require  a  great  many 
structural  changes  before  they  can  become  good  sprink- 
lered  risks.  The  fundamental  idea  to  be  borne  in  mind 
is  that  sprinklers  should  be  so  located  throughout  a 
building  that  there  is  no  unprotected  place,  however 
unexpected,  where  a  fire  can  start.  In  other  words,  no 
matter  where  a  fire  starts  there  must  be  one  or  more 
sprinklers  so  located  in  relation  to  that  particular  point 
that  the  heat  rising  from  the  fire  will  open  a  nead  and 
allow  the  water  that  issues  therefrom  to  strike  the  seat 
of  the  fire.  Furthermore,  there  should  be  no  direction 

88 


INSTALLATION  RULES  89 

that  the  fire  could  spread  in  which  it  will  not  encounter 
other  sprinklers  to  stop  its  progress. 

It  is  evident  therefore  that  sheathing,  resulting  as  it 
does  in  hollow  walls  and  floors,  in  which  it  is  not  prac- 
tical to  place  sprinklers,  is  very  undesirable  from  the 
standpoint  of  sprinkler  protection;  for  should  a  fire 
work  into  such  a  hollow  space  it  might  spread  for 
a  considerable  distance  without  opening  sprinklers  or 
without  coming  within  the  radius  of  the  water  thrown 
by  them.  Such  sheathing  should  therefore  be  removed 
whenever  possible,  and  if  this  is  not  done,  the  concealed 
spaces  should  be  stopped  off  at  intervals  with  tight  fire 
stops  designed  to  stop  the  spread  of  fire  in  any  direc- 
tion. These  stops  should  be  preferably  of  brick  or 
other  non-combustible  material,  but  wood  can  be  used 
if  it  is  made  sufficiently  thick  and  is  fitted  in  so  tightly 
that  no  fire  can  work  around  the  edges.  In  hollow 
ceilings  the  stops  should  be  placed  about  every  30  feet, 
and  in  walls,  at  each  floor  level. 

In  a  similar  way  large  hanging  shelves,  wide  benches, 
and  numerous  partitions  are  undesirable  as  they  all 
tend  to  prevent  the  proper  distribution  of  water  from 
sprinklers.  Highly  inflammable  sheathing,  like  cloth 
and  paper,  allows  fire  to  spread  rapidly  along  the  sur- 
face and  is  detrimental  to  good  sprinkler  protection 
because  it  may  cause  the  opening  of  many  more  heads 
than  would  otherwise  occur. 

Pitch  roofs,  leaving  low  studded  or  concealed  spaces 
at  the  eaves,  are  undesirable  as  the  heat  from  the  fire 
tends  to  flow  toward  the  peak  and  to  open  sprinklers 
at  some  distance  from  the  flames.  Such  places  are  also 
very  apt  to  become  filled  with  storage  that  will  obstruct 
the  proper  distribution  of  the  water,  and  they  are 
usually  very  inaccessible  to  hose  streams  from  the 
outside. 

Unprotected  openings  in  floors  are  also  bad  features 


90  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

as  they  tend  to  augment  draughts  from  floor  to  floor, 
thus  allowing  the  fire  to  spread  quickly  and  also  to 
prevent  the  banking  up  of  heat  around  the  sprinklers 
which  is  so  necessary  for  their  prompt  operation.  Such 
openings  should  be  stopped  off  or  enclosed  in  a  standard 
manner.  If  for  any  reason  this  is  impractical,  curtain 
boards  extending  12  to  18  inches  below  the  ceiling 
around  the  opening  offer  an  effectual  means  of  banking 
up  the  heat  in  case  of  fire. 

All  floors  should  be  made  tight  so  that  fire  will  not 
readily  spread  through  any  cracks  and  so  that  water 
from  sprinklers  will  not  leak  rapidly  through  to  the 
floors  below.  All  sheathing  that  remains  on  the  walls 
or  ceilings  should  be  made  perfectly  tight  so  as  to  retard 
the  spread  of  fire  into  the  concealed  spaces  which  it 
forms.  All  floor  openings,  such  as  stairs,  elevators, 
dumb  waiters,  etc.,  should  be  tightly  enclosed  or  stopped 
off  with  traps.  Partitions  should  be  cut  down  or  if 
possible  should  be  entirely  removed.  Benches  should 
be  set  away  from  walls  at  least  3  inches  so  that  the 
water  can  wet  both  sides  and  thus  prevent  a  fire  under- 
neath from  spreading. 

The  rule  requiring  24  inches  clear  space  between 
sprinkler  heads  and  any  storage  is  of  particular  impor- 
tance in  order  to  give  the  sprinklers  sufficient  space  in 
which  to  operate  effectively.  This  is  a  matter  that  is 
frequently  forgotten  or  disregarded  by  the  property 
owner  and  has  to  be  carefully  looked  out  for  at  inspec- 
tions. 

High-studded  rooms,  like  auditoriums  of  theatres, 
are  not  adapted  to  good  sprinkler  protection  for  the 
reason  that  the  heat  rising  from  a  fire  is  liable  to  be 
deflected  to  one  side  by  draughts  and  thus  open*  sprink- 
lers that  are  so  far  away  that  the  water  they  discharge 
cannot  reach  the  fire.  Then  again  the  heads  do  not 
open  as  promptly  under  these  conditions,  because  the 


INSTALLATION  RULES  91 

heat  is  dissipated  to  a  greater  extent  and  because  there 
is  a  much  larger  amount  of  air  to  be  heated  before  the 
melting  point  of  the  solder  is  reached. 

There  have  been  many  very  disastrous  fires  in  saw 
mills  using  logs  as  raw  stock,  largely  due  to  the  fact 
that  these  buildings  are  not  well  adapted  to  sprinkler 
control.  They  are  usually  high  studded  and  with  open 
ends  so  that  the  draught  conditions,  especially  if  there 
is  any  wind  blowing,  are  very  severe. 

Very  large  areas  cannot  be  as  well  protected  by  sprink- 
lers as  those  of  moderate  or  small  size  as  there  is  more 
apt  to  be  draughts  which  will  carry  the  heat  away  from 
the  sprinklers  above.  This  means  that  more  sprinklers 
will  have  to  open  to  control  the  fire  and  thus  more 
damage  will  result.  For  this  reason  fire  walls  or  non- 
combustible  partitions  dividing  the  area  into  smaller 
sections  are  very  desirable  in  such  buildings.  While 
no  exact  figure  can  be  given,  it  is  generally  considered 
good  practice  to  keep  the  floor  area  of  fire  sections  down 
to  10,000  square  feet  or  less.  It  is  also  very  essential 
to  partition  off  any  unsprinklered  section,  such  as  a 
vacant  part  of  a  basement  by  a  fireproof  or  solid  plank 
partition,  so  as  to  prevent  a  fire  from  getting  h'eadway 
where  there  are  no  sprinklers  to  control  it.  For  the 
same  reason  when  an  unsprinklered  building  adjoins  or 
communicates  with  one  equipped  with  sprinklers  there 
should  be  a  standard  fire  wall  between  them.  Where 
there  is  a  space  between  the  buildings,  the  sprinklered 
building  should  be  protected  by  standard  shutters,  wired 
glass  windows  or  open  sprinklers. 

Curtain  boards  can  be  used  to  advantage  in  large 
area  sections  where  solid  walls  cannot  be  used  to  cut  up 
the  area;  as,  for  instance,  in  electric  car  barns.  These 
should  be  preferably  non-combustible  and  should  extend 
from  the  ceiling  a  distance  of  at  least  6  inches,  preferably 
1  to  2  feet  below  the  sprinkler  heads.  These  tend  to 


92  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

prevent  draughts  at  the  ceiling  level  and  to  pocket  or 
bank  up  the  heat  where  it  is  needed. 

In  certain  classes  of  risks  sprinklers  are  at  a  perma- 
nent disadvantage  on  account  of  the  nature  of  the  proc- 
esses or  the  stock  used.  These  include  risks  where  the 
stock  is  stored  in  deep  hollow  piles,  such  as  empty  bar- 
rels in  tiers,  and  cold  storage  plants  where  the  piping 
and  heads  are  kept  at  a  very  low  temperature ;  also  risks 
using  large  amounts  of  benzine,  especially  in  exposed 
tanks;  and  those  using  celluloid  or  explosives,  where  a 
rapid  flash  fire  is  possible. 

Most  important  of  all  is  the  rule  stating  that  sprink- 
lers should  be  installed  in  all  parts  of  a  plant.  Mr. 
Edward  Atkinson  once  said  that  if  we  could  only  tell 
where  a  fire  was  going  to  start  we  could  place  one 
sprinkler  over  that  spot  and  that  would  be  sufficient. 
Unfortunately  this  is  a  fact  that  we  never  can  deter- 
mine unless  perchance  we  are  connected  with  the  "  Ar- 
son Trust."  Fires  start  in  the  most  unexpected  places 
as  will  be  seen  in  the  following  illustrations. 

A  serious  fire  in  Berlin,  N.  H.,  about  25  years  ago 
started  at  the  main  water  wheel  bearing  in  the  sub- 
basement  of  a  saw  mill.  It  was  a  dark  wet  spot  and 
the  keen  eyes  of  the  inspectors  would  hardly  have 
looked  for  trouble  there  even  if  they  had  succeeded 
in  reaching  such  an  inaccessible  place.  Yet  this  was 
where  the  fire  started  and  as  there  were  no  sprinklers 
there  it  soon  gained  such  headway  that  the  entire  plant 
was  destroyed. 

In  Norwich,  Conn.,  one  building  of  a  large  group  was 
built  directly  over  a  raceway.  The  ground  floor  was 
3  or  4  feet  above  the  water  and  was  open  to  the  weather. 
No  one  had  ever  suggested  placing  sprinklers  over 
running  water,  yet  in  this  case  they  were  needed. 
Trouble  developed  in  an  oil  pipe  in  the  yard  and  a  lot 
of  oil  escaped  into  the  raceway.  This  oil  became 


INSTALLATION  RULES  .  93 

ignited  and  flowing  under  the  building  set  it  on  fire 
causing  a  heavy  loss. 

It  was  formerly  thought  unnecessary  to  install  sprink- 
lers in  one-story  beam  houses  and  tan  yards  connected 
with  tanneries.  These  contain  only  vats  of  water 
and  wet  hides  where  one  might  think  a  fire  could  not 
start.  In  Peabody,  Mass.,  a  few  years  ago  a  serious 
fire  occurred  in  one  of  these  beam  houses  caused  by 
working  men's  overalls,  or  burlap,  being  carelessly 
thrown  behind  steam  pipes.  After  that  experience,  the 
beam  house  was  equipped  and  it  is  now  quite  customary 
to  equip  all  buildings  of  this  character. 

It  is  clear,  therefore,  that  all  parts  of  a  plant  should 
be  equipped  before  the  sprinkler  protection  can  be  con- 
sidered good.  The  only  important  exceptions  to  this 
rule  are  the  following:  fireproof  sections  containing 
wet  work  or  no  readily  combustible  contents ;  low  vacant 
basements  that  are  tightly  partitioned  off  and  not  used 
for  any  purpose,  even  for  non-combustible  storage;  fire- 
proof stair  towers  except  at  the  top;  fireproof  dynamo 
rooms  containing  nothing  but  electrical  machinery. 

LOCATION  OF  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  —  SECTION  B 

Heads  should  point  up  on  the  pipe  except  where 
construction  or  occupancy  of  the  room  makes  it  prefer- 
able to  have  them  point  down.  Most  of  the  older  heads 
were  constructed  so  that  they  had  to  point  down  but 
it  was  found  that  when  in  this  position  they  were  more 
apt  to  be  injured  by  blows  than  when  they  were  above 
the  pipe  and  were  protected  by  the  piping  below.  Fur- 
thermore, such  a  system  could  not  be  readily  drained 
and  was  therefore  not  suitable  for  dry-pipe  installations. 
A  pendent  head  was  more  liable  to  be  clogged  with 
sediment  and  was  also  somewhat  less  sensitive  as  the 
solder  joint  was  further  from  the  ceiling.  For  these 


94 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


reasons  the  rules  now  prohibit  pendent  sprinklers  except 
in  special  cases. 

As  the  bulk  of  the  water  is  thrown  in  an  umbrella- 
shaped  spray  from  the  head  it  is  necessary  to  have  the 
deflector  parallel  to  the  ceiling  or  surface  under  which 
the  head  is  located  in  order  to  give  the  best  protection. 
Under  peak  roofs  or  sloping  stairs  this  requires  turning 
the  head  so  that  the  deflector  is  parallel  to  the  slope 
of  the  roof,  ceiling  or  stairs.  The  line  which  comes 
directly  in  the  peak  should,  however,  point  up  as  it 
cannot  be  parallel  to  both  the  surfaces  that  it  is  to 
protect. 


SKETCH  OF  PEAKED  ROOF  SHOWING  DISTRIBUTION  OF  SPRINKLERS 
IN  AN  UPRIGHT  POSITION  (ON  LEFT)  AND  THOSE  WITH  DEFLEC- 
TORS PARALLEL  TO  SLOPE  (ON  RIGHT). 

The  distance  of  the  sprinkler  from  the  ceiling  is  also 
important.  If  it  is  too  close  the  spray  will  not  cover  a 
large  enough  area  of  the  ceiling  and  is  unduly  obstructed 
by  joists  or  beams.  If  it  is  too  far  away,  not  enough 
of  the  water  will  reach  the  ceiling  and  the  sensitiveness 
will  be  lessened.  The  rules  state  that  the  deflector 
shall  be  between  3  and  10  inches  from  the  ceiling  or 
bottom  of  joists,  preferably  6  to  8  inches.  If  the  ceil- 
ing is  of  fireproof  construction  a  50  per  cent  greater 
distance  is  allowed  as  in  this  case  it  is  not  important 
that  the  ceiling  be  sprayed. 


INSTALLATION  RULES  95 

It  is  of  particular  importance  that  sprinklers  should 
not  be  placed  too  close  to  a  joisted  ceiling  as  the  obstruc- 
tion of. the  joists  to  the  spread  of  water  greatly  affects 
the  distribution  in  the  direction  across  joists.  There  is 
a  great  temptation  to  do  this  in  dry  systems,  especially 
the  end  heads  on  a  line,  in  order  to  get  good  drainage. 

There  are  many  concealed  spaces  like  belt  boxes, 
gear  boxes,  chutes,  cupboards,  etc.,  which  should  have 
sprinklers  inside  unless  the  tops  can  be  removed.  Cloth 
or  paper  tops  are  frequently  allowed  instead  of  placing 
sprinklers  inside,  on  the  theory  that  if  a  fire  starts  in 
such  a  place,  the  top  will  quickly  burn  off  so  that  the 
ceiling  sprinklers  outside  can  control  the  fire. 

Sprinklers  should  be  placed  beneath  large  shelves  or 
tables,  especially  if  there  be  shafting  or  any  similar 
hazard  there.  No  exact  rule  can  be  given  for  the  limit 
of  width  which  calls  for  sprinklers  but  in  most  cases 
the  line  should  be  drawn  at  about  4  feet.  Benches  or 
shelves  of  a  less  width  need  not  usually  be  equipped,  al- 
though care  should  be  taken  that  they  are  set  clear  from 
walls  or  partitions.  Where  there  is  a  wide  bench  with 
shafting  under  the  center  it  is  often  possible  to  get  good 
protection  by  taking  out  the  boards  in  the  center  of 
the  bench,  leaving  an  open  strip  8  inches  or  more  wide 
over  the  shafting. 

The  question  frequently  arises  whether  sprinklers 
should  be  installed  in  dynamo  and  switchboard  rooms. 
The  owner  frequently  objects  to  sprinklers  in  such 
places,  as  water  on  electrical  machinery  is  apt  to  do 
more  damage  than  fire,  and,  in  addition,  to  endanger 
life.  If  the  room  is  fireproof  or  is  small  and  thoroughly 
cut  off  it  is  generally  desirable  to  omit  sprinklers.  In 
other  cases  it  is  better  practice  to  install  them  though 
permission  is  frequently  given  to  keep  the  water  shut 
off  by  a  well-located,  quick-opening  valve  that  can  be 
opened  without  delay  in  case  of  need. 


96  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

In  vertical  shafts  of  combustible  material,  such  as 
wood-enclosed  elevators  or  chutes,  it  is  necessary  to 
install  heads  at  intervals  along  the  vertical  walls  as 
well  as  at  the  top.  Fire  travels  very  rapidly  up  shafts 
of  this  kind  and  ,if  sprinklers  were  placed  at  the  top 
only,  they  would  not  open  promptly  enough  to  prevent 
the  spread  of  fire;  neither  would  they  throw  enough 
water  to  thoroughly  wet  all  walls  for  their  entire  length. 
Therefore  heads  are  called  for  at  each  floor  level  where 
practicable  and  in  any  event  at  least  one  for  every 
200  square  feet  of  inflammable  surface. 

MISCELLANEOUS  RULES  — SECTION  K 

Circulation  in  Pipes.  Sprinkler  pipes  should  be  used 
for  sprinkler  service  only.  The  circulation  of  water  in 
pipes  causes  corrosion  and  may  bring  in  sediment.  It 
may  also  cause  condensation  of  moisture  on  the  pipes 
which  in  many  classes  of  risks  will  result  in  considerable 
damage  to  stock.  There  is  a  growing  tendency  on  the 
part  of  water  departments  to  require  meters  in  sprinkler 
connections  on  account  of  the  illegal  use  of  water  from 
these  pipes.  This  is  undesirable  on  account  of  the  cost 
of  the  meters  and  the  possible  obstruction  to  the  pipes. 
By  strictly  enforcing  the  rule  that  sprinkler  pipes  be 
used  for  no  other  purpose  and  by  metering  the  domestic 
service  connections,  there  would  be  less  cause  for  com- 
plaint from  the  water  departments. 

Service  Connections.  Where  the  domestic  service 
pipe  is  small,  say  1  inch  or  less,  and  the  street  connec- 
tion is  larger  than  the  riser  it  supplies,  there  is  no  par- 
ticular objection  to  taking  the  domestic  service  pipe  off 
the  fire  service  connection  back  of  all  valves  provided 
there  is  a  valve  and  meter  on  the  domestic  service 
connection  close  to  the  main  pipe. 

Painting  and  Bronzing.  It  is  often  desirable  to  paint 
or  bronze  sprinkler  pipes  both  to  prevent  corrosion  and 


INSTALLATION   RULES  97 

to  improve  the  appearance  of  the  piping.  There  is  no 
objection  to  doing  this  providing  the  moving  parts  of 
the  sprinklers  are  not  coated.  Paint  of  any  kind  on 
the  soldered  portions  will  render  them  less  sensitive 
and  may  cause  the  moving  parts  to  stick.  In  case  a 
ceiling  is  to  be  painted  or  whitewashed  with  a  spraying 
machine  the  sprinkler  heads  should  be  protected  during 
the  process.  This  can  easily  be  done  by  tying  a  small 
paper  bag  over  each  head,  care  being  taken  to  remove 
these  bags  as  soon  as  possible. 

Piling  of  Stock.  Sprinklers  should  have  a  clear  space 
of  at  least  2  feet  in  which  to  operate.  That  is,  all 
storage  should  be  kept  at  least  18  inches  below  sprinkler 
pipes,  assuming  that  the  piping  will  be  about  6  inches 
below  the  ceiling.  In  city  buildings  or  others  where 
floor  space  is  particularly  valuable,  this  means  a  loss 
of  storage  space  which  may  be  worth  a  good  deal  of 
money.  This  feature  should  be  fully  understood  before 
an  equipment  is  installed  so  that  when  an  inspector 
orders  the  storage  lowered  there  can  be  no  cause  for 
complaint.  In  a  like  manner,  stock  so  piled  as  to  greatly 
obstruct  distribution,  such  as  on  high  wide  racks,  is 
undesirable,  and  special  care  must  be  taken  in  arranging 
sprinkler  heads  so  as  to  give  proper  protection. 

Hanging  of  Stock.  The  rules  prohibit  the  hanging 
of  stock,  clothing,  etc.,  on  sprinkler  pipes,  both  because 
of  the  obstruction  to  distribution  which  might  result  and 
on  account  of  the  danger  of  loosening  or  breaking  the 
pipe  supports. 

Extra  Sprinklers.  The  rules  call  for  at  least  six  extra 
sprinklers  to  be  kept  on  hand  at  all  times  to  replace 
any  that  may  have  been  fused  or  injured.  Where  there 
are  high-test  heads  in  the  equipment  there  should  also 
be  extra  heads  of  all  the  different  fusing  points  which 
might  be  needed.  Extra  heads  should  be  kept  in 
engine  room,  or  some  other  well-known  place  so  that 


98  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

they  can  be  quickly  found  when  needed.  Several 
persons  connected  with  the  plant,  including  watchman 
if  there  be  one,  should  be  instructed  as  to  the  location, 
and  it  is  well  to  have  this  information  posted  on  placards. 
The  need  of  having  extra  sprinklers  readily  available 
was  well  illustrated  by  the  Phelps  Building  fire  in 
Springfield,  Mass.,  in  1907,  described  under  Fire  Record. 

Hand  Hose.  Hand  hose  is  allowed  to  be  connected 
to  the  sprinkler  equipment  under  certain  restrictions. 
Hose  to  be  1J  inches  and  nozzle  not  larger  than  J  inch. 
Pipe  nipple  and  hose  valve  to  be  1  inch  and  hose  to  be 
connected  to  piping  not  smaller  than  2J  inches.  It  is 
self-evident  that  hose  should  never  be  connected  to  dry- 
pipe  systems.  The  reason  that  l^-inch  hose  is  called  for 
with  1-inch  nipple  is  because  1  inch  is  the  largest  out- 
let that  it  is  thought  desirable  to  make  to  a  sprinkler 
equipment  on  account  of  the  possible  loss  of  pressure 
that  would  result  when  the  hose  was  in  use.  The 
friction  loss  in  1-inch  linen  hose  is  however  considerable 
and  1^-inch  hose  is  preferable  on  this  account. 

Hand  hose  installed  as  above  specified  is  considered 
a  very  desirable  form  of  protection  and  is,  of  course,  very 
inexpensive.  It  is  strongly  recommended  in  hazardous 
rooms  like  picker  and  card  rooms  of  cotton  mills.  Hose 
of  25-foot  lengths  located  about  every  40  feet  down  the 
length  of  a  building  is  a  desirable  arrangement.  Hand 
hose  should,  however,  be  used  sparingly  in  case  the 
primary  water  supply  is  weak. 

SPACING  OF  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  —  SECTION  c 

The  spacing  of  sprinklers  varies  greatly  according  to 
the  construction  of  the  ceiling  under  which  they  are 
placed.  In  general,  it  may  be  said  that  they  should  be 
so  located  that  no  head  will  have  to  cover,  under  most 
conditions,  over  80  square  feet  floor  area  and  under 
no  conditions  more  than  100  square  feet.  In  no  case 


INSTALLATION  RULES  99 

should  the  distance  between  heads  exceed  12  feet,  nor 
should  the  distance  to  walls  or  partitions  exceed  half 
the  distance  between  the  heads. 

Under  "  mill  "  or  plank  and  timber  construction  the 
lines  should  run  in  the  center  of  the  bay,  and  the  heads 
should  be  from  8  to  12  feet  apart  depending  upon  the 
width  of  the  bay.  In  narrow  bays  of  5  to  8  feet,  heads 
can  be  12  feet  apart,  and  in  bays  11  to  12  feet  wide, 
heads  should  be  8  feet  apart.  For  intermediate  widths 
the  spacing  should  be  such  that  one  head  will  not  have 
to  cover  more  than  100  feet.  In  bays  wider  than  12  feet, 
two  lines  are  required,  although  where  the  width  of  bay 
is  between  12  and  13 \  feet,  good  protection  can  often 
be  secured  by  placing  one  and  two  lines  alternately  in 
the  bays.  Mill  construction,  strictly  speaking,  includes 
only  widths  of  bays  between  5  and  12  feet,  but  semi-mill 
and  special  forms  of  construction  are  frequently  found 
with  bays  or  spaces  between  supporting  beams  of  greater 
or  less  amount  than  this.  Where  bays  are  less  than 
5  feet,  good  protection  can  be  obtained  by  running  the 
feed  lines  across  timbers  and  placing  a  head  in  every 
other  bay,  staggered  on  alternate  lines.  Bays  of  less 
than  4  feet  are  usually  treated  as  joisted  construction. 

Under  plank  and  timber  pocket  construction,  that  is 
where  cross  beams  cut. the  ceiling  into  squares  and  ob- 
longs, special  rulings  should  be  made  for  each  particular 
case.  In  general  it  is  safe  to  consider  each  pocket  as 
a  short  bay  and  space  the  heads  accordingly,  but  in 
cases  where  this  arrangement  would  give  an  excessive 
number  of  heads,  good  protection  can  generally  be  ob- 
tained by  alternating  one  and  two  or  two  and  three 
heads  in  a  pocket. 

Under  open-joist  construction  the  distance  between 
heads  should  not  exceed  8  feet  across  joists  and  10  feet 
with  joists.  By  "  across  joists  "  is  meant  the  direc- 
tion at  right  angles  to  the  direction  the  joists  run  and 


100         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


-- 

T 

1  , 

- 

•- 

-- 

-- 

— 

-0- 

S 

«-6'-. 

f 

e 
t 

*-9' 

3 

_i_ 

-- 

--H 

-- 

C 

-- 

-- 

- 

— 

t*. 

-- 

J* 

jfAfo/  more  /£'  for  fire-proof  tHstta/tnqs 
/l_"       »»      12"  »   Slow-burniey  >i  J 

\     El                     Jj^VvW/M 

or        METHOD  OF  SPACING  SPRINKLER  HEADS 

En  larqec/  section  AA.  FIREPROOF  CONSTRUCTION 

TX20FT 


TAG&EJREO-ALTERNM-E  BAN  ANOBEAH 


-  /ess  mart 
E»iav*c 

o   Incffca+fS  a  sprmtr/er 


OF  SPACING 
UNDER  CtillN&S  OF  St-OW-BURNiNo  ANO 

TIRE  PROOK  CONSTRUCTION 


AA 


SPRINKLER  SPACING. 


INSTALLATION  RULES  101 

by  "  with  joists  "  is  meant  the  direction  parallel  to  that 
of  the  joists.  The  requirement  for  a  closer  spacing 
across  joists  is  due  to  the  fact  that  fire  travels  much 
more  readily  along  than  across  joists,  and  also  to  the 
fact  that  the  water  from  the  sprinklers  is  thrown 
further  and  more  effectively  in  the  direction  parallel 
to  the  joists.  For  the  same  reason  the  rules  require 
that  the  sprinklers  be  "  staggered  "  across  joists;  that  is 
the  heads  on  one  line  should  come  half  way  between  the' 
heads  on  the  adjoining  line  measured  in  a  direction 
parallel  to  the  joists.  With  this  arrangement  it  is 
possible  for  a  fire  to  spread  along  joists  half  way  between 
the  heads  on  one  line,  but  when  the  next  line  is  reached 
there  will  be  a  head  directly  in  its  path  to  stop  further 
progress.  In  other  words  the  staggering  of  the  heads 
gives  the  fire  a  path  only  4  feet  wide  in  which  it  can 
travel  along  between  joists  without  coming  directly  in 
contact  with  some  sprinkler.  Without  staggered  spac- 
ing this  path  would  be  8  feet  wide.  This  rule,  which 
has  been  in  effect  since  1896,  is  a  very  important  one 
and  equipments  installed  under  the  previous  rules 
which  did  not  require  staggered  spacing  cannot  be  con- 
sidered as  entirely  satisfactory  today. 

In  laying  out  an  equipment  under  open  joists  it  is 
better  and  usually  cheaper  to  run  the  lines  of  pipe  at 
right  angles  to  the  joists.  The  best  method  of  proce- 
dure is  as  follows:  First  line,  end  head  to  be  4  feet  from 
wall;  second  head,  8  feet  from  first;  third,  8  feet  from 
second,  etc.  Second  line,  first  head,  2  feet  from  wall; 
second  head,  6  feet  from  the  first;  third  head,  8  feet 
from  the  second,  etc.  Third  line,  same  as  first  and 
fourth  line,  same  as  second.  In  this  way  perfect  stagger- 
ing is  obtained. 

Where  joists  are  supported  by  timbers  forming  bays, 
one  line  is  allowed  in  a  bay  up  to  a  width  of  llj  feet. 
It  is  customary  to  double  this  rule,  that  is  to  allow  two 


102         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Hot 


"illlllliillliiiiiiii" 


fpi 

f  EN  JOISTS 


METHOD  OF  SPACING  SPRINKLER  HEADS 

UNDER  Open  JOIST  CEILINGS 
IN  BUILDINGS  OF  ORDINARY  CONSTRUCTION 
SPRINKLERS  STAGGERED 


f 
/{ 

I  .  -7 

V 


r/Of/nore  fflO/7  fS' 
' 


. 

.^        Id         METHOD  OF  SPACING  SPRINKLER  HEADS 

Wot  more  than  Sy~    \Sprinkler       UNDER  CtiUN&S  OF  SLOW-BURNING  AMD 

En/orgec*  section  AA  FIRE  PROOF  CONSTRUC   .ON 

|«   tnd/cafes  a  sprinkler  B/vxS  SnxZO  TT    r 

SpriNKLERS  STA&GtREO  IN  M_TEHN*TE  BAYS, 


SPRINKLER  SPACING. 


INSTALLATION  RULES  103 

lines  in  widths  up  to  23  feet.  In  either  case  the  heads 
should  be  placed  sufficiently  close  on  the  lines  so  that 
no  head  will  have  to  cover  more  than  80  square  feet. 
In  bays  11 J  to  13  feet  wide,  fairly  good  protection  can 
often  be  obtained  by  alternating  one  and  two  lines  in 
a  bay.  In  cases  where  there  are  partitions  running 
across  joists  it  is  impossible  to  strictly  follow  the  rule 
that  the  distance  from  the  head  to  a  partition  shall  not 
exceed  one-half  the  distance  between  heads,  without 
installing  an  excessive  number  of  heads.  The  rule  is 
frequently  modified  by  Underwriters  having  jurisdiction 
in  this  case. 

Under  smooth  finish  ceiling,  such  as  lath  and  plaster 
or  fireproof  construction,  heads  can  be  placed  10  feet 
apart  in  each  direction.  Such  ceilings  are,  however,  often 
cut  up  by  timbers  or  girders,  in  which  case  the  heads 
should  be  placed  with  due  reference  to  these  obstructions. 

Under  pitch  roofs  fires  are  more  difficult  to  control 
than  under  horizontal  surfaces,  and  the  rules  are  there- 
fore somewhat  more  exacting.  Where  the  slope  is 
steep  (one  foot  in  three  or  over)  a  line  is  required  in  the 
peak  and  one  within  3|  feet  of  the  eaves  on  each  side. 
The  intermediate  lines  to  be  not  over  10  feet  apart 
measured  on  a  line  parallel  to  the  roof.  Where  condi- 
tions make  it  desirable,  two  lines  not  over  2J  feet  from 
the  peak  may  be  used  instead  of  the  line  at  the  peak. 
In  saw-tooth  roofs  the  end  sprinkler  on  branch  line 
ought  to  be  not  over  2J  feet  from  peak  of  saw  tooth  so 
as  to  properly  protect  the  steep  side  of  the  saw-tooth 
which,  unlike  a  side  wall,  is  seldom  or  never  vertical. 

Under  fireproof  construction  the  spacing  may  be 
somewhat  modified  to  suit  conditions,  bearing  in  mind 
that  it  is  the  contents  rather  than  the  building  which 
should  be  protected  and  that  under  no  conditions  should 
a  sprinkler  on  one  line  exceed  12  feet  to  a  sprinkler  on 
an  adjoining  line. 


104 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


PIPE   SIZES  — SECTION  D 

The  original  pipe  sizes  for  sprinkler  equipments  were 
undoubtedly  the  outgrowth  of  those  used  for  perforated 
pipe  systems.  The  most  common  schedule  of  pipe 
sizes  in  the  early  equipments  was  that  designed  by  the 
Providence  Steam  and  Gas  Pipe  Company.  This 
schedule  which  was  the  standard  for  many  years  was 

as  follows: 

1-3-6  SCHEDULE 


.Pipe, 
inches. 

Head. 

.Pipe, 
inches. 

Head. 

i 

u 
1* 

2 

2| 

1 
3 
6 
10 

18 

28 

3 
3* 
4 
5 
6 

48 
78 
115 
150 
200 

It  is  generally  known  as  the  1-3-6  or  P.S.  and  G.P. 
schedule.  There  were,  however,  various  other  rules 
both  for  pipe  sizes  and  spacing  used  in  different  parts 
of  the  country  up  to  1896.  In  that  year  the  National 
Fire  Protection  Association  was  organized  and  one  of 
the  principal  reasons  for  its  formation  was  the  demand 
for  a  standard  set  of  rules  for  automatic  sprinklers.  The 
pipe  sizes  first  adopted  by  the  Association  called  for 
considerably  larger  pipes  than  were  used  in  the  1-3-6 
schedule,  as  it  had  been  found  by  experiments  and  by 
actual  practice  that  these  caused  too  much  friction 
loss  under  moderate  and  lightwater  pressures.  The 
1896,  or  1-2-4  schedule,  was  as  follows: 

1-2-4  SCHEDULE 


r  -pr' 

inches. 

Head. 

Pipe, 
inches. 

Head. 

i 

H 

it 

2 

2* 

1 
2 
4 
8 
16 
28 

3 
3* 

5 

6 

48 
78 
110 
150 
200 

INSTALLATION  RULES 


105 


These  rules  limited  the  number  of  sprinklers  on  a 
branch  line  to  6  unless  the  sizes  were  increased  beyond 
the  6th  head  to  one  size  larger  than  the  schedule  spec- 
ified. This  was  done  because  it  was  felt  that  even  with 
these  increased  sizes  there  was  some  question  whether 
the  end  head  on  a  long  line  would  receive  enough  water 
when  all  the  other  heads  on  the  line  were  operating. 

Meanwhile  the  Factory  Mutual  Insurance  Companies 
had  adopted  a  new  schedule  of  sizes  which  was  still 
larger.  This  schedule,  known  as  the  1-2-3  schedule,  was 
adopted  by  the  National  Fire  Protection  Association, 
and  promulgated  by  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Under- 
writers in  1905.  Since  then  it  has  been  the  standard 
in  all  parts  of  the  country  and  for  all  interests.  This 
schedule,  which  does  not  limit  the  number  of  heads  on 
a  line,  is  as  follows: 


1-2-3  SCHEDULE 


.Pipe, 
inches. 

Heads. 

.Pipe, 
inches. 

Heads. 

I 

1 

3 

36 

1 

2 

3£ 

55 

u 

3 

4 

80 

1* 

5 

5 

140 

2 

10 

6 

200 

2£ 

20 

The  number  of  sprinklers  on  a  given  size  pipe  refers 
to  the  number  on  a  floor  of  a  fire  section  or  building,  as 
all  equipments  are  installed  upon  the  supposition  that 
only  one  floor  will  be  on  fire  at  once.  A  fire  that  will 
open  a  large  number  of  heads  upon  more  than  one  floor 
is  usually  beyond  the  control  of  sprinklers.  In  other 
words  the  same  size  riser  is  allowed  for  an  eight-story 
building  as  for  a  one-story  building  provided  the  number 
of  heads  on  a  floor  is  the  same. 


106         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

In  the  case  of  blind  attics  containing  unprotected 
openings  to  the  floor  below  it  is  frequently  necessary 
to  install  the  piping  by  running  up  offsets  at  each  head 
from  the  piping  below.  In  this  case  the  system  may 
be  installed  without  increasing  the  pipe  sizes  except 
those  under  3  inches  in  diameter. 


CHAPTER  VI 

LAYOUT   OF   EQUIPMENTS 

FEED   MAINS  AND  RISERS  —  SECTION  E 

The  best  and  usually  the  most  economical  method 
of  arranging  feed  pipes  to  sprinklers  is  to  have  the 
riser  near  the  center  of  the  group  of  sprinklers  that  it 
supplies  and  to  have  the  branch  lines  short.  In  the 
center  central  scheme,  which  is  the  most  desirable  one, 
the  riser  is  near  the  center  of  the  building,  the  main 
feed  lines  run  lengthwise  of  the  building,  near  the  center, 
and  the  branch  lines  run  across  the  short  dimension  of 
the  building.  In  this  case  the  cross  lines  cover  only  one- 
half  of  the  short  dimension  of  the  building.  In  the 
side  central  scheme,  which  is  perhaps  the  next  best, 
the  riser  is  near  the  center  of  one  of  the  long  sides  of 
the  room  and  the  main-feed  lines  run  lengthwise  of  the 
room  but  at  one  side.  In  this  case  the  cross-feed  lines 
run  parallel  to  the  short  dimension  of  the  building,  but 
are  twice  as  long  as  in  the  previous  case.  Another 
scheme  of  piping  is  shown  in  the  sketch  and  explains 
itself.  The  only  unapproved  schemes  are  those  in  which 
the  riser  is  located  in  the  corner  of  the  building  thus 
giving  end  side  or  across  end  feed.  In  either  case  the 
friction  loss  is  excessive  as  compared  with  the  approved 
methods. 

For  small  buildings  this  scheme  of  feed  lines  is  of  little 
importance  and  where  there  are  less  than  50  heads  on  a 
floor  it  need  hardly  be  considered.  It  is  a.  feature  that 
usually  takes  care  of  itself,  for  it  is  more  economical  for 
the  sprinkler  contractor  to  lay  out  the  equipment  in  an 
approved  way  because  it  takes  a  smaller  amount  of  the 

107 


108         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Center  Central  Feed  to  Automatic  Sprinklers 


.Side   Central  Feed  to/Iutomatic  Sprinklers, 


Across   C«nter  Feed   to  Automatic  SprinKlerS 
o  shows  d  SprinKler  .      9  shows  Riser. 

LAYOUTS  OF  FEED  MAINS  AND  RISERS. 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS  109 

larger  pipes.  It  is,  however,  always  desirable  to  arrange 
the  piping  so  that  there  will  not  be  over  8  heads  on  a 
branch  line. 

There  should  be  a  separate  riser  for  each  building  and 
for  each  fire  section  in  a  building.  It  should  be  of 
ample  size  to  supply  the  maximum  number  of  heads  on 
any  floor  and  preferably  a  little  larger  so  as  to  allow 
for  additional  heads  which  may  be  needed  in  the  future 
due  to  structural  changes.  Stair  and  other  similar 
towers  should  be  piped  as  though  they  were  all  one 
floor.  That  is,  the  sizes,  beginning  at  the  top,  should 
be  increased  as  each  head  is  added.  A  fire  in  such  a 
place  is  liable  to  open  the  heads  on  all  floors. 

Except  where  tanks  on  the  building  are  the  only  auto- 
matic supplies  to  the  system,  the  supplies  should  feed 
in  at  the  bottom  of  the  riser.  This  is  required  so  that 
the  valves,  including  gate  valve  and  alarm  valve  or  dry 
valve,  can  be  conveniently  located  at  the  lower  level  and 
so  that  one  gate  valve  may  be  arranged  to  shut  off  all 
the  supplies  from  the  system. 

Great  care  should  be  taken  to  thoroughly  fasten 
together  the  cast-  and  wrought-iron  pipe  as  this  is  apt 
to  be  one  of  the  weakest  parts  of  the  system.  If  wrought- 
iron  pipe  is  connected  to  bell  and  spigot  cast  iron  the 
joint  should  be  strapped  with  heavy  metal  straps  clamped 
to  the  pipe.  If  possible  flanged  and  spigot  pipe  should 
be  used  as  with  this  a  stronger  joint  can  be  obtained. 

It  is  desirable  to  have  the  underground  pipe  laid  to 
the  base  of  the  riser  so  that  there  will  be  but  one  elbow 
and  so  that  the  riser  will  be  well  supported. 

VALVES  AND  FITTINGS  —  SECTION  F 

Shut-off  valves  are  needed  in  sprinkler  systems  to 
shut  off  the  water  in  the  pipes  after  a  fire  has  occurred, 
or  in  case  of  leakage  or  repairs.  The  only  type  of  valve 
approved  is  the  so-called  outside  screw  and  yoke  gate 


110         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

valve.  In  this  valve  there  is  a  free  water  way  when  the 
valve  is  open  and  therefore  practically  no  friction  loss. 
The  outside  screw  and  yoke  feature  consists  of  a  rising 
stem  threaded  on  the  outside  which  shows  by  its  posi- 
tion the  condition  of  the  valve.  When  the  valve  is  closed 
the  stem  is  down  and  but  little  of  it  is  visible.  When 
the  valve  is  open  the  stem  is  exposed  and  shows  this 
fact  plainly  from  a  considerable  distance.  This  is  the 
simplest  and  best  form  of  indicator  yet  devised  and  was 
therefore  adopted  as  a  standard. 

The  older  types  of  indicators  consisted  of  sliding  or 
swinging  targets  attached  to  the  valve  stem  usually  by 
a  threaded  nut.  These  were  somewhat  unreliable  as 
they  could  in  many  cases  be  set  in  the  wrong  position 
and  were  quite  liable  to  get  out  of  order.  While  many 
of  these  indicator  valves  are  still  found  in  old  equipments, 
they  have  not  been  installed  to  any  extent  since  the 
present  requirements  went  into  effect  some  20  years 
ago. 

Underground  valves  if  not  located  in  pits  should  be 
post  valves  of  an  approved  indicator  pattern.  These 
consist  of  a  hollow  iron  post  attached  to  the  valve, 
extending  about  3  feet  above  ground  with  the  spindle 
extending  up  through  the  post  to  a  wrench  head  located 
at  the  top.  This  can  be  operated  either  by  a  movable 
wrench  or  a  permanently  attached  hand  wheel.  The 
post  is  arranged  with  a  frost-proof  casing  so  that  it 
will  not  be  thrown  out  of  place  by  frost,  and  a  target 
indicator  is  attached  which  is  usually  covered  by  a  small 
glass  plate. 

In  fenced  yards  or  other  locations  where  it  is  not 
liable  to  be  tampered  with,  the  permanent  hand  wheel 
is  advised  as  it  is  always  ready  for  use  and  gives  a  means 
of  sealing  or  strapping  open  the  valve.  In  public  streets 
or  other  exposed  places  a  removable  wrench  is  prefer- 
able. 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS  111 

Check  valves  are  devices  which  work  automatically, 
allowing  water  to  flow  through  in  one  direction  but 
not  in  the  other.  Several  styles  are  on  the  market, 
but  the  simplest  and  best  type  for  sprinkler  use  is  the 
straightway  swing  type.  In  this  type  there  is  a  clapper, 
which  is  a  disc  hung  from  a  pivot  in  such  a  way  that  in 
its  normal  position  it  rests  against  a  valve  seat  placed 
at  a  slight  angle  with  the  vertical.  The  water  coming 
in  one  direction  pushes  the  valve  against  the  seat  making 
a  tight  joint  and  preventing  any  flow  in  that  direction. 
In  the  other  direction  the  water  tends  to  swing  the 
valve  off  the  seat  and  allow  a  flow.  If  the  flowage  is 
sufficient,  the  valve  is  swung  into  a  practically  horizontal 
position,  in  which  case  it  causes  but  little  obstruction 
to  the  pipe  in  which  it  is  placed.  The  clapper  or 
valve  should  be  of  brass  and  have  a  good  clearance  so 
that  there  will  be  no  danger  of  corrosion  or  sticking. 
(See  rules  of  National  Fire  Protection  Association  for 
Hydrants  and  Valves.) 

When  two  sources  of  supply  feed  one  sprinkler  system 
it  is  necessary  to  have  a  check  valve  in  each  so  that  the 
water  will  not  back  up  or  flow  from  one  source  back 
through  the  other  supply.  Without  a  check  valve  the 
water  from  a  supply  of  heavy  pressure,  such  as  a  water- 
works system,  would  flow  back  through  the  pipes  of  a 
supply  of  lighter  pressure,  such  as  a  gravity  tank,  and 
overflow  the  latter.  Again  if  the  pressure  in  the  water- 
works mains  should  drop  for  any  reason,  —  such  as  a 
break,  —  to  below  the  tank  pressure,  the  tank  would  be 
drained  through  the  break  unless  the  flowage  in  that 
direction  was  safeguarded  by  a  check  valve. 

The  rules,  therefore,  require  that  a  gate  valve  and  a 
check  valve  be  provided  on  each  source  of  supply,  the 
gate  valve  to  enable  one  source  to  be  shut  off  inde- 
pendently of  the  other  source,  for  repairs  or  testing 
purposes,  and  the  check  valve  to  prevent  one  supply 


112         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

from  backing  up  into  the  other.  The  gate  valve  should 
be  located  as  close  to  the  source  of  supply  as  practica- 
ble so  that  as  much  of  the  piping  as  possible  may  be 
shut  off.  Otherwise  it  might  be  difficult  to  make  repairs 
in  case  of  a  break  at  some  point  back  of  the  gate  valve. 
In  the  case  of  a  tank  supply,  this  would  mean  that  the 
gate  valve  should  be  placed  right  under  the  tank  or 
as  near  the  tank  as  would  be  readily  accessible;  while 
in  the  case  of  a  waterworks  connection,  the  valve  should 
be  as  near  the  street  main  as  possible.  In  practice 
gate  valves  are  located  close  to  pressure  tanks  but  not 
always  close  to  gravity  tanks.  If  the  tank  is  in  a 
tower,  the  valve  can  be  located  close  to  the  tank,  but 
if  it  is  on  a  .trestle  over  a  building,  the  gate  valve  can 
be  more  conveniently  located  in  the  building  on  the 
top  floor.  If  the  tank  is  on  a  detached  trestle  the  gate 
valve  is  usually  located  underground  at  the  foot  of  the 
trestle  and  a  post-indicator  valve  is  used  for  the  purpose. 

The  check  valve  should  be  located  as  far  from  the 
source  of  supply  as  possible  so  that  in  case  of  a  break 
as  much  of  the  piping  as  possible  will  be  protected. 
If,  for  example,  the  check  is  located  close  to  a  tank,  a 
break  in  the  tank  pipe  anywhere  between  the  check 
valve  and  the  connection  with  the  system  would  allow 
both  sources  of  supply  to  waste  away  through  the 
break;  while  if  the  check  is  located  close  to  the  connec- 
tion to  the  system,  all  of  the  piping  between  that  point 
and  the  tank  is  protected  by  the  check  so  that  in  case 
of  a  break  only  the  tank  supply  will  be  lost.  In  most 
cases,  of  course,  the  gate  valve  would  be  closed  before 
much  water  had  been  lost,  but  occasionally  the  leak 
would  not  be  discovered  in  time  to  do  this;  while  if  the 
break  occurred  during  a  fire  the  consequences  might 
be  very  serious. 

It  is  desirable  when  possible  to  arrange  the  check 
valve  so  that  it  can  be  examined  or  repaired  without 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS 


113 


STREET 

iq*Water  worHs  mahi 


TIT  Xlxn 


PIPE     SCHEME    1 

City  Plant  with  waterworks  pressure  tank  ana 
steamer  connection. 


STOREHOUSES 

f  If  M 


PIPE     SCHEN1E      Z 

Country  Plant  with  gravity  tank  and  steam  pumps 
8"  loop  containing  repair  valves  and  private  hydta. 


KEY 

-f-  Hub  valve 
-f-  Indicator 

valvt 
-4-  Post  Indica- 

tor valve 

*-  Check 

valve.  Water 

flows  indi- 

rection of 

arrow. 
=>=  Alarm  valve 

Dry  valve 
-®  Sprinkler 

riser 
—  Undergrounc 

pipe 


pipe 


privatehydt. 

with  valves 

on  outlets 
^  Two  way 

public  hydt. 
-  Standard 

fire  door 
I]  Hose  house 

I  Boiler 

IB  Chimney 
-*3  Steamer 

connection 
C3  Pressure 

tank 
^  Gravity 

tank 


114         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 

shutting  off  the  other  supply  or,  in  case  of  a  tank,  with- 
out draining  the  tank.  For  this  reason  it  is  desirable 
to  have  a  gate  valve  on  each  side  of  a  check  valve  when 
located  on  waterworks,  reservoir  or  large  tank  supplies. 
In  connections  from  waterworks  systems  there  is  usu- 
ally a  gate  valve  put  in  by  the  water  company  and  located 
on  the  connection  close  to  the  main.  This,  while  not 
readily  accessible,  can  be  used  in  case  of  repairs  and 
therefore  does  away  with  the  need  of  one  of  these  private 
gate  valves.;  In  supplies  from  pumps,  only  one  gate 
valve  is  usually  necessary,  for  unless  the  pump  is 
automatic,  there  is  ordinarily  no  pressure  on  the  pump 
side  of  the  check. 

All  gate  valves  should  be  located  where  easily  visible 
and  readily  accessible;  permanent  ladders  and  platforms 
should  be  provided  where  necessary.  Check  valves 
should,  where  possible,  be  located  so  as  to  be  accessible. 
When  underground,  it  is  desirable  to  locate  them  in 
pits,  but  this  is  not  always  practicable  on  account  of 
the  danger  of  freezing  or  of  flooding  the  pit  and  some- 
times on  account  of  the  expense.  In  case  there  is  no 
pit,  a  permanent  marker  of  stone  or  iron  should  be  in- 
stalled to  show  the  exact  location  of  the  check. 

When  a  pump  is  not  in  a  fireproof  pump  house  but 
is  subject  to  damage  by  falling  walls,  the  check  valve 
on  the  pump  discharge  should  be  underground  and  a 
post  valve  should  be  located  in  the  pipe  just  beyond 
the  check  and  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  building. 

The  ideal  arrangement  for  most  classes  of  risks  is  to 
feed  a  sprinkler  system  through  an  underground  pipe 
containing  a  post  valve  located  at  a  safe  distance  from 
the  building  but  with  no  valves  inside  of  the  building. 
This  makes  it  possible  to  shut  off  or  turn  on  the  supplies 
without  going  into  the  building.  Occasionally  in  case 
of  a  serious  fire  the  sprinkler  piping  will  become  so 
badly  broken  that  it  is  desirable  to  shut  off  the  con- 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS  115 

nection  and  utilize  the  entire  supply  for  hose  streams. 
Without  a  post  valve  this  would  usually  not  be  possible 
as  the  heat  would  prevent  close  approach  to  the  inside 
valve.  Again,  in  case  of  repairs,  post  valve  control  is 
sometimes  of  vital  importance.  A  fire  at  the  Arm- 
strong Cork  Co.  a  few  years  ago  brought  out  this  point 
very  forcibly.  There  was  an  inside  and  outside  valve 
on  the  sprinkler  connection  to  one  of  the  buildings  but 
during  repairs  the  inside  valve  was  closed.  A  fire 
occurred  and  the  inside  valve  could  not  be  reached  on 
account  of  the  heat.  As  a  result  a  serious  fire  occurred 
and  the  building  was  nearly  destroyed.  Had  the  post 
valve  been  used  during  repairs  the  water  could  have 
been  turned  on  after  the  fire  was  discovered. 

As  a  general  proposition  the  fewer  valves  the  better. 
A  multiplicity  of  valves  makes  a  complicated  system 
and  gives  more  chance  for  a  valve  being  closed  by  mis- 
take. In  risks  where  the  contents  are  very  susceptible 
to  water  damage,  inside  valves  may  be  desirable  in 
addition  to  post  valves  because  in  case  of  emergency 
they  can  usually  be  closed  more  quickly.  In  most 
risks  the  single  post  valve  located  outside  the  building 
is  sufficient. 

The  post  valve  should,  whenever  possible,  be  located 
at  a  safe  distance  from  the  building.  By  this  is  meant 
a  distance  that  will  not  permit  damage  by  falling  walls 
and  that  will  not  be  too  hot  to  approach  in  case  of  fire. 
For  the  average  3-  or  4-story  building  this  distance  should 
be  40  to  50  feet  while  for  small  1 -story  buildings  it  might 
be  as  close  as  20  feet. 

In  city  risks  post  valves  are  generally  out  of  the 
question,  for  if  installed  they  would  have  to  be  located 
on  a  sidewalk  where  they  would  be  quite  close  to  the 
building  and  where  they  might  readily  be  tampered 
with.  It  is  possible  in  some  cases  to  loop  the  pipe  back 
across  the  street  and  locate  the  valve  on  the  opposite 


116         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

sidewalk,  but  this  is  rather  expensive  and  causes  addi- 
tional friction  loss.  It  is  therefore  usually  necessary  in 
such  risks  to  have  the  controlling  valves  inside  the  build- 
ing. The  best  arrangement  of  valves  inside  a  building 
will  vary  greatly  according  to  circumstances  and  but 
few  general  rules  can  be  laid  down.  Where  possible  it 
is  desirable  to  locate  all  controlling  valves,  alarm  valves, 
dry  valves,  etc.,  together  in  a  fireproof  room  accessible 
from  outside. 

Occasionally,  shut-off  valves  are  located  on  each  floor 
of  a  building,  but,  as  a  general  rule,  they  are  not  desirable 
as  they  make  the  system  more  complicated  and  give 
further  chance  for  trouble  from  closed  valves.  In  de- 
partment stores,  or  other  risks  where  the  care  of  fire 
appliances  is  first  class  and  where  any  delay  in  shutting 
off  the  water  would  cause  a  heavy  water  loss  on  suscep- 
tible stock,  floor  valves  are  recommended.  A  valve  is 
placed  close  to  the  riser  shutting  off  all  the  sprinklers 
on-  the  floor,  and  it  should  be  made  readily  accessible 
by  a  permanent  ladder. 

Long-bend  fittings  are  now  required  on  all  feed  lines. 
They  cost  a  little  more  than  short  bend  fittings,  but 
cause  much  less  friction  loss  and  are  therefore  very 
desirable.  All  fittings  should  have  standard  threads. 
Extra  heavy  fittings  should  be  used  where  the  pressure 
exceeds  150  pounds. 

Hangers.  The  rules  require  either  U-type  hangers 
made  of  round  wrought  iron  or  malleable  cast  iron, 
ring  clips  or  approved  adjustable  hangers.  Flat  U- 
hangers  are  allowed  when  the  metal  is  TVinch  thick 
or  more. 

The  size  of  screws  and  the  size  of  hangers  for  different 
sizes  of  pipes  are  specified  in  detail  in  the  rules.  Drive 
screws  are  allowed  only  in  a  horizontal  position  as  in 
the  side  of  a  beam. 

Hangers  should  be  located  about  12  inches  from  the 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS  117 

sprinkler  heads  so  as  not  to  obstruct  distribution, 
except  round  hangers  which  may  be  located  as  close 
as  3  inches  under  mill  or  fireproof  construction. 

Two  hangers  are  required  for  J-inch  pipe  at  the  end 
of  lines  where  such  pipe  is  over  6  feet  long. 

For  concrete  construction  cast-iron  inserts  should  be 
used  or  hangers  should  be  attached  directly  to  the  steel 
beams.  In  buildings  already  constructed  expansion  bolts 
satisfactory  to  the  Inspection  Department  having  juris- 
diction may  be  used,  preferably  in  a -horizontal  position. 

Test  Pipes.  A  test  pipe  is  required  at  the  top  of  the 
riser  on  all  wet-pipe  systems.  This  is  installed  so  that 
a  test  can  be  made  to  see  that  the  water  is  on  the  system 
and  under  full  pressure.  This  should  be  of  a  capacity 
equivalent  to  one  sprinkler  head  so  that  in  testing  a 
system  in  which  there  is  an  alarm  valve,  the  test  will 
show  whether  the  alarm  valve  is  adjusted  to  operate 
with  one  head  open.  To  this  end  a  f-inch  pipe  should 
be  used  with  as  few  angles  as  possible  and  a  |-inch  brass 
bushing  should  be  attached  at  the  end.  An  open  sprink- 
ler head  with  the  deflector  removed  can  be  used  for  this 
purpose. 

Half -inch  pipe  has  been  generally  used  in  the  past  for 
this  purpose,  but  is  unsatisfactory  in  testing  an  alarm 
valve,  especially  if  it  contains  many  angles,  as  it  will 
discharge  considerably  less  than  one  sprinkler  head. 
The  test  pipe  is  connected  to  the  top  of  the  riser  so  as 
to  prevent  sediment  and  corrosion  being  drawn  into  the 
branch  lines  when  a  test  is  made.  The  writer  has  seen 
a  case  in  a  town  where  the  water  was  very  muddy  at 
certain  times  in  the  year,  where  the  frequent  use  of  a 
test  pipe  attached  to  a  branch  line  finally  filled  the  line 
completely  with  mud. 

Drip  Pipes.  Arrangements  should  be  made  to  thor- 
oughly drain  all  parts  of  a  sprinkler  system  so  that  when 
the  water  is  drawn  off  for  repairs  or  in  case  of  shut  down 


118         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

there  would  be  no  water  remaining  in  the  pipes  which 
might  cause  trouble  by  freezing.  To  this  end  all  pipes 
should  be  pitched  not  less  than  J  inch  in  10  feet,  and  all 
branch  lines  should  drain  back  to  feed  lines  and  risers. 
When  possible  one  drip  pipe  should  be  arranged  to 
drain  the  entire  system.  This  should  be  located  at  the 
base  of  the  riser  just  above  the  main  controlling  valve, 
or  in  cases  where  the  system  is  controlled  by  a  post 
valve,  at  the  lowest  practical  point  in  the  system.  It 
should  be  2  inches  in  diameter  and  should  extend  out- 
side of  the  building  or  to  some  point  where  the  flow 
of  water  will  do  no  damage. 

In  some  city  risks  it  is  necessary  to  connect  drip 
valves  to  the  sewer  but  this  is  not  recommended  as 
it  frequently  prevents  accurate  tests  and  occasionally 
causes  trouble  by  back  pressure  from  the  sewer.  In 
some  cities  a  section  of  glass  is  required  in  the  drip 
pipe  when  it  runs  direct  to  a  sewer,  so  that  in  case  the 
drip  valve  should  leak,  this  fact  could  be  readily  ascer- 
tained. When  this  is  done  great  care  should  be  taken 
to  prevent  a  possible  blow-out  or  breaking  of  the  glass 
as  this  might  result  in  heavy  water  damage.  A  few 
systems  have  been  installed  with  indirect  connection 
to  the  sewer;  that  is  the  drain  is  run  to  a  blind  well 
which  is  connected  to  the  sewer.  This  is  undesirable 
because  any  clogging  of  the  pipe  between  the  blind 
well  and  the  sewer  would  be  hard  to  determine  on  inspec- 
tion and  might  cause  the  overflowing  of  the  blind  well 
on  test. 

When  the  drip  pipe  extends  out  of  doors  it  should  be 
fitted  with  a  hood  or  turned-down  elbow  to  prevent 
clogging  with  ice..  When  it  extends  under  a  building, 
care  should  be  taken  to  so  locate  it  that  the  discharge 
of  water  will  do  no  damage.  This  is  especially  important 
in  cases  where  a  riser  .comes  up  through  an  unheated 
basement  and  is  boxed  to  prevent  freezing.  If  the 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS  119 

drip  pipe  discharges  too  close  to  the  boxing  it  is  liable 
to  wash  away  the  earth  from  the  pipe  below  the  boxing 
and  allow  it  to  freeze. 

Pressure  Gages.  Standard  44-inch  dial  spring-pressure 
gages  are  required  on  all  systems  in  the  following  places: 

Discharge  pipe  from  each  supply. 
Above  and  below  each  alarm  valve. 
Above  and  below  each  dry  valve. 
At  air  pump  supplying  pressure  tank. 
At  pressure  tank. 

At  each  independent  pipe  from  air  supply  to  dry- 
pipe  system. 

Gages  to  be  located  in  a  suitable  and  convenient  place 
where  not  subject  to  freezing.  A  controlling  cock  with 
square  head  to  be  located  on  each  gage  connection;  also 
a  plugged  tee  or  pet  cock  between  each  gage  and  cock. 

The  gages  are  required  so  that  the  water  or  air  pressure 
can  be  readily  noted  at  any  time,  thus  giving  a  means 
of  discovering  closed  valves  or  clogged  pipes.  The 
plugged  tee  or  pet  cock  is  installed  so  as  to  allow  for 
putting  on  another  gage  for  purposes  of  comparison 
and  to  allow  drawing  the  pressure  off  the  permanent 
gage  to  see  that  the  needle  comes  back  to  zero. 

Drip  valves  and  pressure  gages  properly  arranged  are 
of  great  value  to  inspectors  in  making  tests  on  water 
supplies,  and  without  them  it  is  frequently  impossible 
to  determine  accurately  the  condition  of  the  supply. 
The  exact  location  of  the  gage  is  of  great  importance  for 
if  it  is  located  on  or  close  to  the  drip  pipe,  the  suction 
caused  by  the  flowage  of  water  past  the  gage  connection 
is  liable  to  make  the  reading  much  too  low.  Care 
should  be  taken  therefore  to  locate  the  gage  on  the  main 
riser  and  where  possible  at  least  a  foot  above  the  drain 
pipe.  The  method  of  making  the  test  will  be  described 
in  the  chapter  on  maintenance. 


120 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Protection  Against  Freezing.  In  unheated  basements 
or  other  places  where  pipes  cannot  be  buried  below 
frost  line,  they  should  be  thoroughly  protected  against 
freezing  in  some  other  way.  Pipes  running  above 
ground  from  one  building  to  another  can  often  be 
boxed  with  a  steam  pipe  inside  of  the  boxing.  This 
is  a  satisfactory  arrangement  provided  the  boxing  is 
tight  and  that  adequate  steam  pressure  is  constantly 


Loose  trap  door  for 

inspection  of  pipe  an4 
filling 


•leavy  earth 
(no  gravel) 


METHOD  OF  PROTECTING  SPRINKLER  PIPE  IN  UNHEATED  BASEMENT 
BY  BRICK  PIT  FILLED  WITH  EARTH. 

kept  up  in  cold  weather.  Where  this  is  not  practical,  a 
triple  frost-proof  boxing  with  air  spaces,  such  as  is  called 
for  in  the  rules  for  protecting  discharge  pipes  from  gravity 
tanks,  can  be  installed.  (See  rules  for  Gravity  Tanks.) 
A  riser  coming  up  through  an  unheated  basement 
can  be  protected  by  enclosing  it  in  a  brick,  concrete  or 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS  121 

wooden  well  extending  from  below  frost  line  to  the 
ceiling  of  the  basement.  The  top  can  be  left  open  so 
that  warm  air  will  circulate  or  steam  pipes  can  be 
installed  inside.  Another  method  is  to  put  in  triple 
boxing,  as  mentioned  above,  running  it  below  frost  line. 
In  some  cases  it  can  be  surrounded  by  sufficient  earth 
to  make  it  safe.  A  thickness  of  three  feet  on  all  sides 
extending  up  to  the  under  side  of  the  floor  should,  in 
most  cases,  be  enough.  In  a  partially  heated  basement 
less  protection  may  be  necessary  but  it  is  desirable  to 
be  on  the  safe  side. 

Water  Supplies  —  Section  I 
The  water  supplies  commonly  used  are: 

1.  Waterworks. 

2.  Gravity  tanks  or  reservoirs. 

3.  Pressure  tanks. 

4.  Steam  pumps. 

5.  Rotary  pumps. 

6.  Centrifugal  pumps. 

In  addition  to  the  above,  steamer  connections  are  occa- 
sionally installed  although  they  can  seldom  be  con- 
sidered as  an  additional  supply. 

In  England  the  hydraulic  injector  is  frequently  used 
although  its  use  is  apparently  limited  to  that  country. 
The  principle  on  which  it  operates  is  similar  to  that  of 
any  injector;  namely,  heavy  pressure  with  small  volume 
is  used  to  raise  the  pressure  in  a  supply  of  compara- 
tively low  pressure  and  large  volume.  The  high-pressure 
source  is  the  hydraulic  mains  which  are  quite  common 
in  the  larger  cities  of  England.  They  were  installed 
for  the  transmission  of  power  before  the  advent  of 
electricity  and  were  used  to  operate  elevators  and  similar 
devices.  The  mains  are  small  in  size  but  carry  water 
under  a  pressure  of  from  600  to  700  pounds  per  square 


122         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

inch.  A  small  jet  of  water  under  this  pressure  is  used 
to  induce  a  higher  pressure  in  a  connection  from  the 
regular  waterworks  supply,  which  is  usually  under  as 
low  a  pressure  as  20  to  30  pounds.  The  exact  pressure 
can  be  accurately  regulated  and  is  controlled  by  an 
automatic  attachment. 

For  standard  protection  two  independent  water 
supplies  are  necessary  so  that  if  anything  happens  to 
one  supply  there  will  be  another  one  to  fall  back  upon. 
In  the  case  of  town  water,  there  is  a  chance  it  will  be 
shut  off  on  account  of  breaks  in  the  mains,  for  making 
new  connections  for  laying  new  mains,  for  cleaning 
reservoirs,  etc.  In  the  case  of  tanks  they  have  to  be 
occasionally  drained  for  painting,  cleaning  and  repairs. 
Pumps  are  particularly  liable  to  be  out  of  commission 
on  account  of  repairs. 

Another  reason  for  the  double  supply  is  that  it  gives 
additional  water  in  case  of  a  large  fire.  Many  water- 
works systems  are  of  insufficient  capacity  to  give  more 
than  a  few  hundred  gallons  of  water  per  minute  without 
causing  an  undesirable  drop  in  pressure.  Most  gravity 
tanks  are  not  large  enough  or  of  sufficient  elevation  to 
give  good  hose  streams  for  any  length  of  time.  In 
either  of  these  cases  a  good  pump  would  be  a  very  desir- 
able secondary  supply  as  it  would  furnish  a  large  supply 
of  water  under  a  heavy  pressure  in  case  the  primary 
supply  became  overtaxed.  The  rules  require  that  one 
of  the  supplies  be  automatic  and  that  one  be  capable 
of  furnishing  water  under  heavy  pressure. 

One  or  more  of  the  supplies  should  be  capable  of 
giving  a  pressure  of  at  least  25  pounds  on  the  highest 
sprinklers.  The  value  of  a  supply  is  not  to  be  judged, 
however,  entirely  by  the  static  pressure.  There  should 
be  sufficient  capacity  so  that  under  a  moderate  flow 
there  will  not  be  an  excessive  drop  in  pressure.  An 
excessive  drop  in  pressure  is  difficult  to  define  but  in  a 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS  123 

general  way  it  might  be  said  that  it  should  not  exceed 
25  per  cent  with  a  2-inch  drip  pipe  wide  open. 

Waterworks  Systems.  In  large  cities,  where  there 
is  a  water  works  supply  of  heavy  pressure  and  where 
the  mains  are  of  large  size,  and  are  well  gridironed,  a 
connection  from  the  public  mains  with  no  secondary 
supply  may  generally  be  considered  satisfactory  for 
good  sprinkler  protection.  In  addition  to  the  above, 
the  water  system  should  be  under  good  management 
so  that  the  chance  of  shutting  off  any  particular  section 
for  repairs  will  be  small.  Where  a  connection  can  be 
made  from  two  different  street  mains,  so  arranged  with 
valves  at  the  intersection  of  streets  that  it  would  not  be 
necessary  to  shut  off  both  streets  for  repairs,  even  better 
protection  can  be  secured.  While  this  cannot  be  con- 
sidered the  equivalent  of  two  independent  supplies  it  is 
certainly  much  better  than  one.  Such  an  arrangement 
is  frequently  better  than  two  supplies  as  found  in 
some  country  risks  which  have  to  depend  upon  the 
limited  supply  furnished  by  tanks  and  pumps. 

Connections  from  street  mains  to  sprinkler  risers 
should  be  at  least  as  large  as  the  risers  they  supply. 
Such  a  connection  is  usually  cast  iron  while  the  riser 
is  wrought  iron.  It  is  more  liable  to  become  clogged 
with  sediment  than  is  the  riser  and  in  the  course  of 
years  this  and  corrosion  may  have  considerable  effect 
upon  its  capacity.  For  this  reason  it  is  desirable  to 
use  pipe  of  at  least  6-inch  diameter,  although  if  the  build- 
ing is  so  small  as  to  require  not  over  a  4-inch  riser  and 
the  distance  to  the  street  main  is  short,  a  4-inch  pipe 
may  be  satisfactory. 

In  order  to  constitute  a  standard  water  supply,  a 
waterworks  system  should  give  at  least  25  pounds 
pressure,  at  all  times,  on  the  highest  line  of  sprinklers. 
The  street  main  should  be  at  least  6  inches  in  diameter 
and  preferably  fed  from  both  directions.  Street  mains 


124         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

fed  one  way,  or  in  other  words  running  to  a  dead  end, 
are  unc'esirable  both  from  the  fact  that  the  supply  of 
water  is  not  as  good  and  because  trouble  from  water 
hammer  is  much  more  likely  to  occur.  Water  hammer 
is  due  to  the  sudden  stopping  of  the  flowage  in  a  pipe 
and  the  larger  the  flow  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the 
pipe  the  worse  is  the  effect  of  the  hammer.  Hydraulic 
elevators  and  the  filling  of  locomotives  cause  a  heavy 
flow  for  a  short  time  and  are  particularly  liable  to 
cause  water  hammer  in  the  mains  from  which  they  are 
supplied.  When  such  connections  are  made  with  street 
mains  running  to  a  dead  end  there- is  almost  sure  to  be 
trouble. 

Water  hammer  may  affect  a  sprinkler  system  by 
operating  alarm  valves  or  dry  valves  and  occasionally 
by  actually  breaking  pipes  or  sprinkler  heads.  Modern 
sprinklers  are  seldom  affected  by  water  hammer,  but 
it  is  not  uncommon  to  have  old  types  of  heads  set 
leaking  from  this  cause.  There  is  no  very  effectual 
remedy  for  this  trouble  except  possibly  by  extending 
the  street  main  so  as  to  do  away  with  the  dead  end. 
In  the  case  of  a  railroad  filling  pipe  the  trouble  can 
often  be  obviated,  or  at  least  lessened,  by  putting  in  a 
slow-moving  valve  so  that  the  water  cannot  be  shut  off 
too  quickly.  Relief  valves  connected  to  the  system  are 
also  of  some  value  although  the  impulse  is  often  so 
quick  that  the  valve  does  not  have  time  to  operate. 

While  street  mains  smaller  than  6-inch  diameter  can- 
not be  considered  as  affording  a  standard  water  supply, 
yet  where  the  plant  does  not  require  a  larger  riser  than 
4  inches  and  where  the  main  is  fed  both  ways  or  where 
the  distance  to  a  larger  main  is  short,  such  a  supply 
may  give  very  fair  protection.  Tests  should  be  made 
to  determine  the  actual  efficiency  of  any  such  supply. 

Meters.  The  rules  state  that  no  meters  or  pressure- 
regulating  valves  should  be  installed  on  sprinkler  con- 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS  125 

nections  without  special  consent.  Pressure  regulators 
are  seldom  necessary  but  it  is  not  uncommon  for  a 
water  department  to  insist  on  meters.  There  is  a  grow- 
ing tendency  on  the  part  of  water  departments  to  call 
for  meters  and  while  they  are  undesirable  from  a  fire 
protection  standpoint,  their  importance  from  a  water- 
works point  of  view  should  not  be  overlooked.  The 
demand  for  their  introduction  has  been  due  almost 
entirely  to  the  misuse  of  water  from  sprinkler  connec- 
tions. If  all  domestic  service  connections  were  metered 
and  kept  separate  from  fire  service  connections  there 
should  be  but  little  need  of  meters  on  the  latter.  There 
are,  however,  cases  where,  on  account  of  the  size  of  the 
yard  system,  there  is  liable  to  be  considerable  leakage 
from  underground  joints  and  occasional  drawing  of 
water  from  hydrants.  Under  these  circumstances  it  is 
not  unreasonable  to  ask  for  meters  on  the  fire  service 
connection.  Where,  however,  there  is  no  yard  piping, 
the  separation  of  the  domestic  service  pipe  and  the 
installation  of  an  alarm  valve  on  the  sprinkler  connec- 
tion would  seem  to  be  ample  safeguard  to  prevent  the 
misuse  of  water  from  the  sprinkler  connection. 

In  some  cases,  where  additional  protection  was  de- 
sired, small  meters  have  been  installed  in  the  J-inch  pipe 
between  the  alarm  valve  and  the  alarm  connections  in 
order  to  give  an  indication  of  the  amount  of  water  that 
passes  through  the  system. 

Where  a  meter  must  be  used,  one  of  the  detector  type 
is  desirable  from  a  fire  protection  standpoint.  Such  a 
meter  consists  of  a  weighted  check  valve  around  which 
there  is  a  small  by-pass  containing  an  ordinary  meter. 
The  weighted  check  valve  is  placed  in  the  sprinkler  con- 
nection and  is  of  the  same  diameter  as  the  pipe.  For 
the  6-inch  size  the  by-pass  is  about  3  inches  in  diameter. 
All  small  flows  are  taken  care  of  by  the  by-pass  and  are 
measured  on  the  ordinary  meter.  When  more  water 


126         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


HERSEY  DETECTOR  METER. 


1IW       200      300     400      5MI 


1WO    ."jOli   if.00    1700   1800    19(10    2<X10   Hot   2m    ?300 


HERSEY  DETECTOR  METER. 

Friction  loss  curve. 

Horizontal  spaces  show  gallons  per  minute. 
Vertical  spaces  show  loss  of  pressure  in  pounds  per  square  inch. 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS  127 

is  needed  than  can  be  supplied  by  the  by-pass,  the 
weighted  check  opens  and  the  flow  is  recorded  by  a 
proportional  meter  located  in  the  main  pipe.  The  total 
flow  is  the  sum  of  the  readings  of  the  two  meters. 

The  Hersey  Meter  Co.  is  building  this  type  of  meter 
having  friction  loss  as  shown  in  preceding  chart. 

The  Trident  Protectus  Meter,  style  I,  made  by  the 
Neptune  Meter  Co.  is  approved  for  this  use. 

Gravity  Tanks. 

Note:  For  construction  and  installation  rules,  see  pamphlet  of 
National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  on  Tanks. 

The  capacity  should  never  be  less  than  5000  gallons 
and  preferably  not  less  than  10,000  gallons.  Where 
there  is  only  one  building  to  be  supplied,  a  safe  method 
for  determining  the  proper  size  of  tank,  provided  there 
is  to  be  another  supply  of  heavy  pressure  to  back  it  up, 
is  to  figure  the  amount  of  water  needed  to  supply  one- 
quarter  of  the  sprinklers  on  a  floor  for  twenty  minutes. 
This  amounts  to  practically  the  same  thing  as  taking 
100  times  the  number  of  heads  on  a  floor,  assuming  an 
average  elevation  of  25  feet  for  the  water  in  the  tank 
above  the  sprinklers.  Thus,  if  there  are  150  heads  on  a 
floor,  a  15,000-gallon  tank  should  be  used.  If  the  other 
supply  is  exceptionally  good,  a  somewhat  smaller  tank 
might  be  used,  but  if  the  other  supply  is  weak  or  if 
there  is  no  other  supply,  a  much  larger  tank  would  be 
desirable. 

In  hazardous  risks  where  quick  flash  fires  opening 
many  heads  are  liable  to  occur,  larger  tanks  are  also 
desirable. 

The  elevation  should  be  such  as  to  give  at  least  15 
pounds  pressure  on  the  top  line  of  sprinklers.  Here 
again  the  value  of  the  other  supply  should  be  considered, 


128         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

but  20  feet  elevation  for  the  bottom  of  the  tank  may 
be  considered  a  minimum  for  good  protection. 

When  the  tank  is  to  supply  hydrants  as  well  as  sprink- 
lers it  should  have  a  capacity  of  at  least  40,000  gallons 
and  an  elevation  of  at  least  100  feet  above  the  ground. 
If  the  buildings  are  small  and  low  these  figures  might  be 
considerably  modified  but  it  cannot  be  considered  good 
protection  to  use  any  tank  for  hydrant  service  unless  it 
has  a  capacity  of  at  least  30,000  gallons  and  an  eleva- 
tion above  the  highest  building  of  at  least  25  feet. 

Ordinarily  tanks  should  be  used  for  sprinkler  service 
only,  but  when  the  water  is  clear  and  without  sediment 
it  is  not  objectionable  to  make  the  tank  somewhat 
larger  than  the  size  required  for  fire  protection  and  to 
use  the  excess  for  domestic  service.  Thus  if  a  25,000- 
gallon  tank  is  called  for,  a  30,000-gallon  tank  might  be 
installed  and  the  upper  5000  gallons  used  for  domestic 
service  or  other  purposes.  This  is  done  by  running 
the  domestic  service  pipe  up  to  the  proper  elevation  in 
the  tank  so  that  it  can  draw  off  only  the  upper  sixth 
of  the  tank  capacity.  This  arrangement  tends  to  keep 
the  tank  full  at  all  times,  or  at  least  full  to  the  point 
where  the  domestic  service  pipe  is  connected,  and  it 
also  tends  to  prevent  freezing  of  the  water.  On  the 
other  hand  the  tank  will  act  as  a  settling  basin  and  any 
dirt  or  sediment  in  the  water  that  is  pumped  into  the 
tank  will  tend  to  settle  to  the  bottom  and  to  clog  the 
sprinkler  pipes. 

Wood  is  generally  used  for  the  smaller  sizes  of  tanks 
and  steel  for  the  larger  sizes,  say  over  40,000  gallons. 
Both  require  careful  maintenance,  frequent  painting, 
cleaning,  etc.  Concrete  tanks  are  being  used  to  some 
extent  and  are  probably  economical  for  sizes  over 
50,000  gallons.  They  have  the  advantage  of  being  very 
permanent  and  requiring  comparatively  little  expense  for 
maintenance. 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS 


129 


APPROXIMATE  COST  OF  WOODEN  TANKS  COMPLETE  ON  STEEL 
TRESTLE* 

Including  average  cost  of  foundation,  piping,  painting,  etc. 


Size  of  tank, 
gallons. 

Height  of  trestle  in  feet. 

30 

40 

60 

75 

90 

100 

125 

5,000 
10,000 
15,000 
20,000 
30,000 
40,000 
50,000 
75,000 
100,000 

$600 

875 
950 
1220 
1600 
2000 
2250 
2900 
3450 

$665 
950 
1065 
1350 
1765 
2150 
2430 
3030 
3750 

$790 
1090 
1300 
1500 
2000 
2550 
2820 
3700 
4500 

$900 
1160 
1425 
1700 
2230 
2850 
3100 
4000 
4920 

$1050 
1400 
1675 
1940 
2465 
3160 
3510 
4485 
5360 

$1525 
1800 
2100 
2665 
3425 
3800 
4775 
5675 

$2140 
2500 
3090 
3930 
4450 
5480 
6430 

APPROXIMATE  COST  OF  STEEL  TANKS  COMPLETE  ON  STEEL 

TRESTLES* 
Including  average  cost  of  foundations  and  piping 


Height  of  trestle. 


Size  of  tank, 
gallons. 

50  feet. 

75  feet. 

100  feet. 

150  feet. 

200  feet. 

30,000 

$2200 

$2500 

$3,100 

$4,400 

$6,000 

40,000 

2400 

2900 

3,600 

4,800 

6,300 

50,000 

2800 

3400 

3,800 

5,400 

6,500 

75,000 

3500 

4000 

4,500 

6,000 

8,000 

100,000 

4200 

4850 

5,600 

7,600 

11,000 

150,000 

6000 

6800 

7,600 

10,000 

13,000 

200,000 

8100 

8800 

10,000 

12,200 

16,000 

Pressure  Tanks. 

Note:  For  construction  and  installation  rules,  see  National  Board 
of  Fire  Underwriters'  pamphlet  on  Tanks. 

Pressure  tanks  are  installed  upon  the  principle  that 
a  moderate  amount  of  water  under  heavy  pressure  is 
as  efficient  for  sprinkler  protection  as  a  greater  amount 

*  These  were  1914  prices.  Present  prices  (1918)  are  about  85% 
higher. 


130         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

of  water  under  lighter  pressure.  This  is  true  for  a  small 
fire  but  not  necessarily  so  for  a  fire  of  considerable  size. 
Pressure  tanks  are  necessarily  limited  to  comparatively 
small  sizes  and  should  never  be  used  except  where  there 
is  another  source  of  supply  of  large  volume  available. 
They  are  especially  desirable  in  city  risks  where  there 
is  a  waterworks  supply  of  only  light  or  moderate  pres- 
sure available.  Thus  if  the  public  water  supply  is 
ample  in  volume,  but  gives  only  5  to  15  pounds  on  the 
top  line  of  sprinklers,  a  pressure  tank,  giving  as  it  does 
a  heavy  pressure  on  the  first  few  heads  that  operate,  is 
a  desirable  supply.  The  pressure  is  heavy  at  the  start 
(which  is  the  critical  time  in  the  extinguishment  of  the 
fire)  but  diminishes  quite  rapidly  as  the  flow  continues. 

If  the  air  pressure  is  maintained  as  called  for  by  the 
rules,  the  minimum  pressure,  when  the  last  water  is  leav- 
ing the  tank,  is  15  pounds. 

Pressure  tanks  should  always  be  located  on  the  roof 
or  upper  floor.  Otherwise  the  pressure  which  it  is 
necessary  to  maintain  will  be  excessive.  If  the  tank  is 
on  the  roof,  the  pressure  required  is  75  pounds.  If  it 
is  below  the  roof  an  excess  pressure  is  required  equal 
to  three  times  the  pressure  due  to  the  height  of  the 
sprinklers  above  the  tank.  For  example,  if  the  pressure 
tank  is  10  feet  below  the  highest  sprinklers,  the  excess 
pressure  over  75  pounds  would  be  three  times  the  pres- 
sure due  to  the  height  of  10  feet.  This  height  is  equiva- 
lent to  a  water  pressure  of  4.3  pounds  (one  foot  of  water 
giving  a  pressure  of  0.43  pound)  and  three  times  this 
is  13  (12.9).  Therefore  88  pounds  pressure  should  be 
carried.  If  the  tank  is  located  in  the  basement  of  a 
six-story  building,  the  pressure  required  wouil|i  be  about 
165  pounds,  which  is  a  very  difficult  air  pressure  to 
produce  and  maintain. 

Pressure  tanks  should  be  enclosed  in  a  heated  room  or 
roof  house  and  should  be  used  for  sprinkler  service  only. 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS  131 

They  should  be  filled  two- thirds  full  of  water  and  one- 
third  of  air.     Sufficient  pressure  should  be  pumped  in 
by  means  of  an  air  compressor  to  comply  with  the  above 
mentioned  rule. 
The  common  sizes  of  pressure  tanks  are  as  follows: 

4500  (3000  gallons  of  water). 
6000  (4000  gallons  of  water). 
7500  (5000  gallons  of  water). 
9000  (6000  gallons  of  water). 

No  general  rule  can  be  given  for  determining  the 
proper  size  of  tanks  for  buildings,  but  in  practice  they  are 
seldom  called  for  of  a  size  that  would  give  more  than 
half  the  water  that  would  be  specified  in  case  a  gravity 
tank  was  used.  Thus  a  6000-gallon  tank  (4000  gallons 
of  water)  might  be  used  where  there  were  80  sprinklers 
on  a  floor  or  where  an  8000-gallon  gravity  tank  would  be 
called  for. 

Where  capacities  larger  than  7500  gallons  are  needed 
it  is  usually  better  and  more  economical  to  use  two 
smaller  tanks  instead  of  one  large  one.  Thus  in  a  build- 
ing having  100  sprinklers  on  a  floor,  two  4500-gallon 
tanks  (6000  gallons  of  water)  might  be  used. 

Steam  Pumps. 

Note:  For  rules  for  construction  and  installation  see  National 
Board  of  Fire  Underwriters'  pamphlet  on  Steam  Pumps. 

A  modern  Underwriter  steam  pump  is  an  excellent 
supply  for  a  sprinkler  system  as  well  as  for  hydrants 
provided  it  is  well  located  and  maintained  and  has 
ample  water  supply.  There  should  also  be  an  ample 
supply  of  steam  available  at  all  times  so  that  the  pump 
can  be  started  without  delay. 

Nearly  all  styles  of  fire  pumps  are  built  in  three  prin- 
cipal sizes,  namely,  500,  750  and  1000  gallons  per  minute. 
Some  pumps  are  also  built  in  1250-  and  1500-gallon  sizes. 
They  are  all  multiples  of  250  which  is  the  number  of  gal- 
lons per  minute  required  for  a  standard  hose  stream. 


132          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

The  proper  size  of  a  pump  for  any  given  plant  depends 
largely  upon  the  other  supply  available.  The  com- 
bined capacity  of  both  supplies  should  be  enough  to 
supply  the  number  of  hose  streams  thought  to  be  de- 
sirable as  well  as  the  sprinklers  that  are  liable  to  open. 
The  500-gallon  size  is  too  small  for  good  protection  ex- 
cept in  plants  of  unusually  small  size,  or  when  used  to  in- 
crease the  pressure  from  low-service  waterworks.  As  a 
standard  hose  stream  required  250  gallons  per  minute, 
such  a  pump  is  good  for  only  two  standard  streams.  The 
750-gallon  pump  is  suitable  for  some  of  the  smaller 
plants  but  the  1000-gallon  size  is  the  one  most  generally 
used  and  the  small  additional  cost  over  one  of  smaller 
capacity  is  usually  justified.  If  a  larger  pumping  ca- 
pacity is  desired  it  is  good  practice  to  install  two  pumps 
so  that  if  one  is  out  of  commission  at  any  time  there 
will  be  something  to  fall  back  upon. 

Rotary  Pumps. 

Note:  For  rules  for  construction  and  maintenance  see  pamphlet 
of  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  on  Rotary  Pumps. 

Up  to  1914  the  rules  recognized  type  A  and  type  B 
rotary  pumps  but  at  present  only  the  type  B  is  approved. 
The  type  A  was  a  modification  of  the  older  pumps 
which  had  been  on  the  market  for  many  years  but 
which  were  rather  inefficient  types  of  pumps.  Type  B 
was  designed  especially  for  fire  fighting  and  contained 
some  radical  changes  in  the  old  design. 

Rotary  pumps  are  not  usually  as  good  fire-fighting 
devices  as  steam  pumps  on  account  of  the  fact  that 
they  wear  much  more  rapidly  and  cannot  be  as  readily 
repaired  when  worn.  They  frequently  have  to  be 
located  in  wet  places  where  they  are  subject  to  cor- 
rosion and  where  they  cannot  be  easily  cared  for.  In 
a  plant  that  depends  upon  water  power  and  has  no 
adequate  steam  supply,  a  rotary  pump  may  be  found 
necessary  as  it  is  the  only  approved  pump,  except  the 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS 


133 


centrifugal  pump,  that  can  be  readily  connected  to  water 
power. 

Centrifugal  Pumps. 

Note:  For  rules  for  construction  and  installation  see  pamphlet  of 
National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  on  Centrifugal  Pumps. 

These  pumps  are  a  comparatively  new  invention  and 
are  not  yet  in  very  general  use.  They  are  high-speed 
pumps  and  are  particularly  well  adapted  to  locations 
where  the  source  of  power  is  electricity. 

Electric  Pumps. 

Note:  For  rules  for  construction  and  installation  see  rules  of 
National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters  for  Electric  Pumps! 

Either  rotary,  centrifugal,  or  plunger  pumps  may  be 
fitted  for  electric  drive.  They  are  expensive  to  install 
and  in  most  cases  expensive  to  operate.  The  require- 
ments for  power  supply  and  transmission  are  severe  and 
in  many  locations  these  cannot  be  readily  complied  with. 
Electric  pumps  are  usually  not  economical  to  install  ex- 
cept in  power  houses  or  street  railway  property  where 
electric  power  can  be  ob- 
tained at  a  low  cost. 

Steamer  Connections. 
These  are  desirable  for  all 
equipments  where  there  are 
steamers  available  that  can 
pump  into  the  system  in 
case  of  fire,  and  especially 
where  the  other  supplies 
are  weak  in  pressure.  Their 
use  is,  however,  practically 
limited  to  the  larger  cities, 
as  it  is  only  here  that  steam- 
ers and  efficient  depart- 
ments to  man  them  are 

available   at  short  notice.     In  cities  where  the  public 
water  pressure  is  light  and  where  the  fire  department 


STEAMER  CONNECTION. 


134          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

is  willing  to  cooperate  in  their  use,  they  are  of  especial 
value. 

The  rules  require  the  hose  connection  to  be  not  less 
than  4  inches  in  diameter  and  as  a  matter  of  fact  larger 
sizes  are  seldom  used.  Each  connection  should  be  fitted 
with  a  check  valve  but  not  with  a  gate  valve.  It  is 
quite  usual  to  install  double  or  Siamese  connections,  in 
which  case  each  inlet  should  be  checked  against  the 
other.  This  is  most  easily  accomplished  by  locating  one 
double-acting  check  in  the  Y  of  the  connection. 

There  should  be  a  f-inch  drip  pipe  so  located  that  it 
will  drain  the  piping  between  the  check  valve  and  the 
outside 'hose  coupling. 

Hose  connections  should  be  attached  direct  to  the 
sprinkler  riser  on  single  riser  equipments.  On  wet-pipe 
systems  connection  should  be  made  above  the  gate  and 
alarm  valves  so  that  if  the  valve  should  be  closed  the 
steamer  connection  would  still  be  operative.  In  dry 
systems  it  is  not  practical  to  make  the  connection  above 
the  dry  valve,  as  it  is  very  difficult  to  make  the  check 
valve  air-tight.  It  should  therefore  be  connected  below 
the  dry  valve  but  preferably  above  the  gate  valve. 
Where  there  is  more  than  one  riser  controlled  by  valves, 
the  connection  should  be  made  below  the  gate  valves  so 
that  if  any  gate,  valve  is  closed  the  other  risers  may  be 
supplied.  In  general  hose  connections  should  feed  the 
system  above  all  shut-off  valves  whenever  possible. 

Hose  connections  should  be  of  brass  with  the  same 
thread  as  that  used  by  the  fire  department  (National 
Standard  if  possible).  Each  outlet  to  be  kept  covered 
with  a  brass  or  iron  cap  to  keep  out  dirt,  stones,  etc. 
Connection  to  be  plainly  marked,  showing  the  purpose 
for  which  it  is  intended,  by  raised  letters  at  least  one 
inch  in  size. 

Underground  Pipes  and  Fittings.  Only  cast-iron  pipe 
to  be  used  for  underground  work  and  the  weight  to 


LAYOUT  OF  EQUIPMENTS 


135 


be  in  accordance  with  the  Standard  Specifications  of 
the  American  Water  Works  Association.  Extra  heavy 
piping  to  be  used  where  pressures  exceed  125  pounds 
per  square  inch. 

TABLE  FOR  WEIGHTS  OF  ORDINARY  CAST-IRON  PIPING 


Diameter  in 
inches. 

Weight  per  foot 
in  pounds. 

Diameter  in 
inches. 

Weight  per  foot 
in  pounds. 

4 

23 

12 

91.7 

6 

35.8 

14 

116.7 

8 

52.1 

16 

143.8 

10 

70.8 

Where  a  system  of  yard  piping  can  be  laid  out  on  a 
loop,  better  protection  can  be  obtained  with  smaller 
pipe  sizes  than  where  the  piping  runs  to  a  dead  end. 
In  no  case  should  the  pipe  be  less  than  6  inches  in  diam- 
eter, and  where  the  plant  is  large  enough  to  require 
more  than  three  2-way  hydrants  and  a  sprinkler  connec- 
tion, an  8-inch  pipe  should  be  used. 

For  three  2-way  hydrants  or  less,  6-inch  pipe  may  be 
used  if  it  is  looped.  Where  system  is  not  looped  the 
next  larger  size  of  pipe  is  usually  necessary.  For  sup- 
plying six  hose  streams  or  more  the  yard  system  should 
be  at  least  the  equivalent  of  an  8-inch  loop  or  a  10-inch 
dead  end  system. 

A  6-inch  pipe  should  not  be  used  for  supplying  more 
than  three  hose  streams. 

Where  a  number  of  sprinkler  connections  take  off  from 
an  underground  system  in  addition  to  the  hydrants,  the 
pipes  should  be  sufficiently  large  to  supply  both.  It  is 
usually  safe  to  allow  for  enough  water  to  feed  one  quarter 
the  sprinklers  on  one  floor  of  one  fire  section  in  addition 
to  the  number  of  hose  streams  thought  to  be  necessary. 
Each  sprinkler  head  will  require  20  to  40  gallons  per 
minute,  depending  upon  the  pressure.  A  standard  hose 


136         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

stream  discharges  250  gallons  per  minute.  This  amount 
is  delivered  by  a  hose  stream  with  H-inch  nozzle  under 
about  60  pounds  pressure. 

Where  long  lines  of  pipe  are  used,  care  should  be  taken 
to  make  due  allowance  for  friction  loss.  For  new  clean 
pipe  the  friction  loss  per  1000  feet  is  approximately  as 
follows:  for  6-inch  pipe,  10  pounds  with  500  gallons  flowing 
and  40  pounds  with  1000  gallons  flowing.  For  8-inch  pipe, 
2.3  pounds  with  500  gallons  flowing;  9  pounds  with  1000 
gallons;  21  pounds  with  1500  gallons  and  37  pounds  with 
2000  gallons.  For  10-inch  pipe,  7  pounds  with  500  gallons 
flowing;  2.9  pounds  with  1000;  6.6  with  1500;  12  with 
1500  and  26  with  3000.  •  For  12-inch  pipe,  2.6  pounds 
with  1500  gallons  flowing;  4.7  pounds  with  2000  and  10 
with  3000.  Corrosion,  sediment  and  sharp  bends  increase 
these  figures  considerably. 

Great  care  should  be  taken  in  laying  underground  pipe 
to  see  that  it  is  buried  well  below  the  frost  line.  The  safe 
depth  varies  with  the  location  from  2£  feet  in  the  south 
to  10  feet  in  northern  Canada,  measured  from  the  top  of 
the  pipe  to  ground  level.  The  best  local  practice  should 
be  followed,  provided  it  has  been  found  safe  during  the 
recent  cold  winters,  bearing  in  mind  that  there  will  prob- 
ably be  no  flowage  in  these  pipes  most  of  the  time. 

All  piping  should  be  tested  for  two  hours  under  150 
pounds  pressure,  or  if  normal  pressure  is  to  exceed  100 
pounds,  to  a  pressure  at  least  50  pounds  above  normal. 
Pressure  should  be  put  on  the  pipes  before  the  trench  is 
filled  in  if  possible. 

Care  should  also  be  taken  in  properly  supporting  the 
pipe  in  poor  soil,  in  anchoring  the  pipe  on  steep  inclines 
and  in  carefully  filling  in  and  tamping  around  aH  under- 
ground pipe  when  it  is  laid. 


CHAPTER  VII 
ALARM   VALVES 

An  alarm  valve  is  a  very  inexpensive  and  valuable 
addition  to. the  fire  protection  in  a  sprinklered  risk  and 
is  strongly  advised  for  every  equipment.  It  consists 
of  a  device  which  is  installed  in  the  main  sprinkler  riser 
and  is  arranged  to  actuate  some  form  of  alarm  as  soon 
as  water  flows  through  the  system.  These  alarms  are 
of  two  types:  rotary  gongs,  operated  like  water  wheels, 
by  the  passage  of  water  through  them;  and  electric 
gongs,  operated  by  the  movement  of  a  check  valve  or 
by  the  closing  of  an  electric  circuit  through  the  action 
of  water  pressure  on  a  diaphragm.  Alarm  valves  are 
valuable  for  two  reasons:  they  give  an  alarm  when 
sprinklers  open  on  account  of  fire,  thus  acting  as  a  fire 
alarm;  and  they  give  warning  in  case  of  flowage  through 
the  system  for  other  causes  such  as  a  broken  pipe,  open- 
ing sprinkler  head,  etc.  For  the  latter  reason  they  are 
of  great  importance  from  a  sprinkler  leakage  point  of 
view,  and  most  companies  insuring  against  this  form 
of  loss  require  either  an  alarm  valve  in  the  system  or 
standard  watchman's  service  in  the  risk  insured. 

TYPES 

There  are  two  principal  types  of  alarm  valves  that 
have  been  successfully  used.  In  one  a  check  valve  is 
placed  in  the  main  water  pipe  and  the  movement  of  the 
clapper  when  water  begins  to  flow,  transmitted  usually 
through  a  packed  stem,  is  used  to  actuate  the  alarm. 
In  the  other  type  a  check  valve  is  also  used  and  this, 
when  in  its  normal  position,  closes  an  outlet  to  a  small 

137 


138         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

pipe  running  to  the  alarm  devices.  This  is  accomplished 
by  having  the  small  pipe  run  from  a  groove  in  the  valve 
seat,  a  horn  in  the  water  way  or  an  auxiliary  valve  out- 
side the  main  water  way.  In  any  type,  a  retarding  or 
interrupting  element  should  be  used  to  retard  the  alarm 
long  enough  so  that  water  hammer  will  not  produce  a 
false  alarm. 

The  early  valves  were  of  the  first  type  and  usually 
had  no  retarding  element.  The  most  common  variety 
was  that  using  a  swing  check  with  an  arm  attached 
which  extended  through  a  stuffing  box  to  a  lever  on  the 
outside.  This  lever  was  so  arranged  that  when  it  was 
moved  forward  by  the  opening  of  the  check,  a  mechanical 
gong  was  tripped  or  an  electrical  circuit  connected  to  a 
bell  was  completed. 

This  was  a  very  crude  form  of  alarm  valve  and  par- 
ticularly defective  in  the  following  points: 

1.  Sticking  of  the  packed  stem.     The  packing  used  to 
make  a  tight  joint  often  caused  the  stem  to  stick  owing 
to  its  age  or  to  its  being  packed  too  tightly.     In  many 
cases  this  sticking  was  great  enough  to  cause  a  serious 
menace  to  the  equipment  by  obstructing  the  water  way. 

2.  Susceptibility  to  false  alarms.     Any  valve  of  this 
character,  having  no  retarding  element,  is  very  liable  to 
give  false  alarms  from  water  hammer.     A  slight  impulse 
in  the  water  would  force  the  clapper  off  its  seat  and  would 
probably  give  an  alarm  if  the  device  was  adjusted  to 
operate  for  small  flows. 

3.  Lack  of  sensitiveness.     Where  the  movement  of  a 
large  check  valve  is  used  to  give  an  alarm  it  is  evident 
that  the  amount  of  water  necessary  to  feed  one  sprinkler 
head  would  only  open  the  valve  a  very  small  amount. 
It  is  therefore  very  difficult  to  adjust  the  device  so  that 
it  will  operate  for  small  flows  caused  by  the  opening  of 
one  or  even  two  heads. 

4.  The  valves  were  liable  to  stick  open.     This  was 


ALARM  VALVES  139 

especially  the  case  where  the  lever  was  weighted  so  that 
when  it  started  to  move  the  weight  would  carry  the 
clapper  over  to  the  wide  open  position. 

In  addition  to  the  above  the  electrical  and  mechanical 
gongs  used  at  this  time  were  crude  and  unreliable.  The 
mechanical  gongs  had  to  be  rewound  each  time  they 
operated  and  this  was  frequently  forgotten.  Valves  of 
this  type  have  not  been  installed  to  any  extent  for  many 
years  and  but  few  are  now  found  in  the  field. 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH 

In  1881  Mr.  J.  C.  Meloon  of  Providence  patented  an 
alarm  valve  of  the  vertical  check  type  in  which  the  move- 
ment of  the  clapper  operated  an  auxiliary  valve  which 
admitted  water  from  below  the  check  valve  to  a  cham- 
ber. The  water  pressure  in  the  chamber  actuated  a 
diaphragm  which,  when  it  moved,  tripped  the  catch  of 
a  mechanical  alarm. 

In  1884  Mr.  Charles  E.  Buell  patented  a  valve  of  the 
packed  stem  type  in  which  the  lever  attached  to  a  swing 
check  started  a  train  of  clockwork  actuated  by  a  weight. 
This  rang  a  mechanical  gong.  The  Walworth  Manu- 
facturing Co.  also  made  some  valves  of  this  general 
type. 

Another  of  the  early  valves  of  this  type  was  the  Neu. 
This  was  a  vertical  check  valve  seating  like  a  globe 
valve  on  a  horizontal  seat.  A  spindle  extended  through 
a  stuffing  box  at  the  top  and  closed  an  electrical  contact 
when  the  clapper  was  raised  by  the  flowage  of  water. 
This  had  practically  all  the  defects  of  the  swing  check 
type  except  the  liability  to  stick  open. 

The  Grinnell  Angle  Alarm,  so-called,  was  somewhat 
similar  to  the  Neu.  It  was  a  vertical  check  of  the  angle 
type.  A  rod  attached  to  the  lower  side  of  the  check 
valve  contained  a  groove,  and  a  horizontal  pin  passing 
through  a  stuffing  box  to  the  outside  of  the  casing  rested 


140         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

in  this  groove.  When  the  valve  opened  the  pin  was 
pushed  a  short  distance  forward  thus  making  an  elec- 
trical connection  or  tripping  a  mechanical  gong. 

This  valve  was  an  improvement  over  the  old  swing 
check  as  it  was  less  subject  to  false  alarms.  The  valve 
could  lift  slightly  without  giving  an  alarm  and  there 
was  less  chance  of  sticking.  Like  the  older  valve,  how- 
ever, it  had  no  retarding  element  and  was  difficult  to 
adjust  so  as  to  be  sensitive  to  small  flows  and  at  the 
same  time  not  to  be  subject  to  false  alarms. 

In.  1888  Messrs.  R.  Dowson  and  J.  Taylor  of  Bolton, 
England,  patented  in  this  country  the  well-known  Eng- 
lish Alarm  Valve.  This  was  manufactured  by  the  Gen- 
eral Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  for  many  years  and  is  still 
used  in  a  slightly  modified  form.  It  is  also  the  basis  of 
several  other  valves  and  embodies  perhaps  the  most 
successful  principle  that  has  ever  been  used  in  alarm 
valve  construction.  It  consisted  of  a  vertical  check 
valve  having  a  grooved  seat.  A  pipe  extended  from 
the  groove  to  a  rotary  gong  actuated  by  the  flow  of  water. 
When  the  valve  was  seated,  the  groove  was  tightly  cov- 
ered by  the  clapper  and  no  water  could  escape.  When 
the  valve  was  raised  by  flowage  in  the  system,  the  water 
entered -the  groove  and  flowed  to  the  water  rotary  gong. 

In  the  original  valve  there  was  no  retarding  chamber 
and  the  valve  was  therefore  somewhat  subject  to  false 
alarms  from  water  hammer.  There  was,  however,  a 
small  compensating  valve  located  in  the  main  check 
valve  which  allowed  water  in  small  quantities  to  pass 
upwards  through  the  alarm  valve  but  not  back  again. 
This  was  installed  to  prevent  trouble  from  water  ham- 
mer by  building  up  an  excess  pressure  in  the  system 
above  the  main  check  valve. 

The  same  year  (1888)  Mr.  Frederick  Grinnell  patented 
a  very  ingenious  device  which,  however,  was  never  put 
on  the  market  so  far  as  known.  The  principle  involved 


ALARM   VALVES 


141 


was  apparently  a  very  effective  one  for  preventing  false 
alarms  from  water  hammer  although  in  case  it  failed  to 
work  properly  it  completely  blocked  the  water  way. 

It  consisted  of  a  double  or  balanced  valve  comprising 
two  self-packing  pistons  h  —  h  located  several  inches 
apart  and  connected  by  a  rod  running  in  a  guide.  The 
pipe  from  the  water  supply  b'  was  connected  between 


TO  5TEAIA 
WH  \STLE 


GRINNELL  ALARM  DEVICE  1888. 
(Section.) 

the  two  pistons,  when  in  their  normal  position,  so  that 
there  was  an  equal  pressure  on  each,  thus  balancing  the 
valve. 

The  cylinder  in  which  these  two  pistons  could  move 
horizontally  was  connected  at  one  end  to  the  sprinkler 
riser  and  at  the  other  end  to  a  pocket  63  normally  full 
of  water.  A  rod  i  connected  with  the  pistons  extended 
through  the  pocket  and  a  stuffing  box  to  the  outside  of 
the  casting.  Here  it  came  in  contact  with  a  valve  sup- 
plying a  steam  whistle.  A  small  by-pass  k  extended 
around  the  two  pistons  of  the  alarm  valve  connecting  the 
sprinkler  riser  with  the  pocket.  In  this  by-pass  was  a 
three-way  cock  I  which  when  in  its  normal  position  left 
a  free  way  through  the  by-pass,  thus  equalizing  the 
water  pressure  in  the  riser  and  in  the  pocket. 


142          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

This  three-way  cock  was  connected  to  a  lever  arm  m 
actuated  by  a  flexible  diaphragm  o  and  connected  by  a 
short  piece  of  pipe  to  the  riser.  When  in  normal  posi- 
tion the  two  pistons  spanned  the  inlet  pipe  and  pre- 
vented any  flow  of  water  into  the  riser.  Any  water 
hammer  or  variation  in  pressure  acted  equally  on  both 
pistons  and  gave  no  alarm.  When,  however,  a  sprinkler 
operated  the  pressure  in  the  riser  was  reduced.  This 
caused  the  diaphragm  to  drop,  thus  moving  the  lever 
downward  and  changing  the  position  of  the  three-way 
cock  so  as  to  close  the  by-pass  but  open  a  passage  from 
the  pocket  to  a  waste  pipe.  This  relieved  the  pressure 
in  the  pocket  thus  causing  the  two  pistons  to  move  in 
that  direction  to  the  limit  of  their  travel.  This  opened 
the  main  water  way  from  the  supply  pipe  into  the  riser 
and  at  the  same  time  operated  the  steam  whistle. 

The  International  valve  was  of  a  somewhat  similar  prin- 
ciple to  the  English  Alarm  valve.  Instead  of  a  grooved 
seat,  however,  a  horn  was  used.  This  horn  extended 
from  outside  the  casing  to  the  under  side  of  the  main 
clapper  of  a  swinging  check  valve.  When  the  clapper 
was  on  its  seat,  it  also  closed  the  open  end  of  the  horn. 
When  the  clapper  was  raised,  the  water  flowed  into  the 
horn,  hence  through  the  retarding  chamber  to  the  circuit 
closer  and  rotary  gong.  The  retarding  chamber  was, 
however,  of  an  entirely  different  principle  from  that  used 
in  the  English  Alarm  valve  as  will  be  described  later. 

The  first  Rockwood  alarm  valve  was  practically  a  copy 
of  the  English  valve.  The  present  type  has  a  grooved 
seat  and,  in  addition,  a  by-pass  containing  an  auxiliary 
valve  to  care  for  the  small  flows. 

The  Venturi  valve  made  by  the  Venturi  ^larm  Co., 
and  installed  by  the  Manufacturers'  Automatic  Sprink- 
ler Co.  (later  by  the  "  Automatic  "  Sprinkler  Co.  of 
America),  is  of  a  radically  different  principle  from  any 
other  alarm  valve. 


ALARM  VALVES  143 

There  is  a  weighted  swing  check  in  the  main  water 
way  but  no  grooved  seat  or  horn.  There  is  a  by-pass 
around  the  check  valve  containing  a  Venturi  tube,  that 
is  a  tube  containing  a  restricted  portion  or  throat. 
Water  flowing  through  such  a  tube  has  an  increased 
velocity  accompanied  by  a  decrease  in  pressure  at  the 
throat.  This  difference  in  pressure  is  made  use  of  to 
give  an  alarm  by  piping  one  side  of  a  mercury  column  to 
the  throat,  and  the  other  side  to  the  full-sized  pipe  below 
the  throat.  A  heavy  iron  float  rests  on  one  side  of  the 
mercury  column  and  when  water  passes  through  the 
by-pass,  owing  to  flowage  in  the  system,  the  float  falls 
and  its  movement  opens  an  outlet  which  allows  the 
water  to  flow  to  the  alarm  devices. 

In  February,  1908,  Mr.  E.  L.  Thompson  of  the  Man- 
ufacturers' Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  patented  an  alarm 
valve  which  operated  entirely  on  account  of  reduction 
of  pressure  in  the  system  when  a  sprinkler  opened.  It 
was  a  complicated  device  containing  a  balanced  valve 
which  fell  when  the  pressure  was  reduced  thus  allowing 
water  to  pass  into  a  pipe  which  operated  an  electrical 
and  water  rotary  gong.  This  was  never  used  in  prac- 
tice so  far  as  known. 

Mr.  Geo.  E.  Hibbard  of  Chicago  patented  a  valve  in 
1903,  which  could  be  used  either  as  an  alarm  or  dry 
valve.  This  depended  upon  an  excess  pressure  being 
maintained  above  the  valve  and  was  never  used  so  far 
as  known. 

INSTALLATION 

In  all  types  of  alarm  valves  great  care  should  be  taken 
in  the  matter  of  installation.  Most  of  the  valves  on 
the  market  have  had  a  remarkably  good  record  so  far 
as  giving  an  alarm  in  case  of  fire  is  concerned,  but  the 
record  of  false  alarms  has  not  been  satisfactory.  The 
greater  portion  of  this  trouble  has,  however,  been  due 


144          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

to  defective  installation.     A  few  of  the  more  important 
points  that  are  often  overlooked  are  the  following: 

1.  Vent  for  circuit  closer.     There  should  be  a  small 
outlet  about  J  inch  in  diameter  located  under  each  cir- 
cuit closer  so  that  when  the  water  flow  ceases  the  pres- 
sure under  the  diaphragm  will  be  released  at  once  and 
the  circuit  will  be  thereby  broken.     This  also  allows 
the  pipe  from  the  diaphragm  to  drain  quickly  by  admit- 
ting air  at  the  upper  end.     The  vent  should  be  piped 
through  a  visible  outlet  and  so  arranged  that  water 
discharged  from  it  will  do  no  damage. 

2.  All  drips  should  run  to  the  space  under  the  build- 
ing or  out  of  doors  in  such  a  manner  that  the  chance 
of  clogging  or  freezing  will  be  reduced  to  a  minimum. 
Drips  running  to  a  sewer  are  liable  to  cause  trouble  by 
the  backing  up  of  water  which  may  operate  the  alarms. 
When  it  is  necessary  to  connect  to  a  sewer,  the  drip 
pipe  should  run  into  an  open  cup  or  into  a  pipe  of  larger 
diameter,  this  latter  pipe  running  to  the  sewer.     The 
top  of  the  cup  can  be  closed  with  a  sliding  cover  if 
desired  and  this,  not  being  air-tight,  will  prevent  any 
back   pressure   from   reaching   the   retarding   chamber. 
The  piping  should  be  arranged  so  that  the  end  of  the  drip 
can  be  easily  inspected  for  leaks.     If  necessary  a  trap 
can  be  placed  in  the  large  pipe  that  connects  with  the 
sewer.     The  drip  from  the  circuit  closer  can  easily  be 
carried  to  the  same  drain  pipe. 

3.  The  water  rotary  gong  should  be  located  as  near 
the  alarm  valve  as  possible.     If  located  at  too  great  a 
distance  from,  or  at  too  great  an  elevation  above,  the 
alarm  valve,  the  loss  of  head  entailed  may  cause  trouble. 
In  case  the  length  of  pipe  is  over  15  feet  it  is, desirable  to 
enlarge  it  to  at  least  1  inch  diameter.     This  pipe  should 
be  arranged  so  that  it  will  drain  quickly. 

There  should  be  a  substantial  hood  and  screen  over 
the  gong  to  prevent  clogging  by  ice,  birds'  nests,  etc. 
These  are  usually  supplied  with  the  valve. 


ALARM  VALVES  145 

RULES  FOR  DESIGNING  AN  ALARM  VALVE 
The  following  specifications  give  a  general  idea  of 
the  requisites  for  a  satisfactory  alarm  valve. 

1.  Must  be  capable  of  actuating  and  maintaining  in  operation 
either  mechanical  or  electrical  devices,  or  both. 

2.  The  electrical  alarm  type  must  be  capable  of  actuating  an 
electrical  circuit  opener  or  closer,  according  to  the  character  of  the 
alarm  circuit  to  which  it  may  be  connected. 

3.  The  combination  electrical  and  mechanical  type  must  operate 
to  set  and  maintain  in  operation  both  alarms,  or  either  independently. 

4.  Must  operate  at  all  rates  of  water  delivery  from  the  system, 
exceeding  ten  (10)  gallons  per  minute. 

5.  The  retarding  factor  must  not  exceed  thirty   (30)  seconds. 
The  retarding  factor  is  here  defined  as  the  time  elapsing  between 
the  first  movement  of  water  past  the  valve  due  to  opening  of  a  sys- 
tem outlet  and  the  completion  of  the  act  by  which  the  valve  actu- 
ates the  alarm  devices;    it  is  not  construed  as  including  the  delay 
incident  to  excessive  lengths  of  connecting  pipes  leading  to  such 
devices,  or  other  delays  which  may  be  largely  dependent  in  magni- 
tude upon  details  of  installation  or  excess  pressure  above  the  valve. 

6.  Must  be  equally  operative,  without  special  adjustment,  at  all 
service  pressures  for  which  it  is  rated. 

7.  Must  discontinue  alarms  on  stoppage  of  flow. 

8.  Must  be  capable  of  transmitting  successive  alarms  without 
manual  resetting. 

9.  Must  not  spatter  water  upon  the  surroundings  of  the  valve 
nor  cause  waste  of  water. 

10.  Must  not  give  false  alarm  under  any  variation  in  service 
pressure  for  which  it  is  rated. 

11.  Must  be  substantially  constructed  and  not  embody  delicate 
parts. 

12.  Must  not  waste  water  while  in  service  and  not  in  operation. 

13.  Must  not  depend  on  moving  parts  which  are  liable  to  become 
stiffened  by  corrosion,  other  results  of  lapse  of  time  or  by  misad- 
justment. 

14.  Must  be  so  designed  as  not  to  invite  improper  adjustment  in 
the  field. 

15.  Must  not  require  frequent  renewal,  or  adjustment  of  parts. 

16.  Must  have  all  working  parts  readily  accessible  for  removal 
and  repairs. 

17.  Must  be  made  up  and  shipped  from  the  factory  in  such  form 
as  not  to  be  liable  to  incorrect  installation  or  assembly. 


146         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  -PROTECTION 

18.  Must  not  be  susceptible  to  accumulation  of  foreign  matter. 

19.  Must  not  be  liable  to  failure  from  the  effects  of  corrosion, 
sticking  of  parts  or  ordinary  accumulation  of  sediment  and  other 
foreign  matter  from  the  piping. 

20.  Must  not  possess  sufficient  differential  properties  to  cause 
danger  of  water  columning  in  service  or  undesirable  action  in  oper- 
ation. 

21.  Must  not  depend,  for  proper  action,   on  manually-wound 
spring  motors  or  any  other  form  of  motive  power  which  is  liable  to 
be  out  of  commission  when  needed. 

22.  Electrical  contact  devices  must  be  so  protected  from  mois- 
ture that  they  will  be  dry  under  all  conditions  short  of  actual  sub- 
merging of  the  apparatus. 

23.  Must  not  invite  internal  or  external  gagging.     The  necessary 
test  valves  and  devices  must  be  as  simple  as  possible.     If  of  such 
nature  or  so  located  that  they  may  be  carelessly  left  in  condition  to 
render  the  alarm  devices  inoperative,  provision  must  be  made  for 
pad-locking  or  sealing  them,  in  proper  operative  condition  only. 

24.  Must   not   cause   excessive  loss   of   pressure   by   hydraulic 
friction. 

NATIONAL  BOARD  RULES  FOR  ALARM  VALVES 

See  Sprinkler  Rules  Section  G. 

The  National  Board  rules  for  alarm  valves  state  that 
every  sprinkler  system  should  contain  an  alarm  valve 
that  will  operate  an  electrical,  a  mechanical  gong  or 
both.  The  character  of  the  property  and  the  local  con- 
ditions should  determine  just  what  bells  should  be  used 
and  where  they  should  be  located.  In  a  city  risk  the 
electric  bell  should  if  possible  be  located  in  a  fire  de- 
partment house  or  in  a  central  station.  It  is  also  very 
desirable  to  wire  it  on  a  closed  circuit  in  such  locations. 
It  is  often  advisable  to  omit  the  rotary  gong  when  the 
risk  is  located  in  a  congested  district  on  account  of  the 
panic  or  the  frightening  of  horses  which  might  result 
from  the  ringing  of  so  large  a  gong. 

In  small  towns  or  villages  both  electric  and  rotary 
gongs  are  desirable  and  the  electric  bell  should  be  at  a 
fire  department  house  or  in  the  dwelling  of  some  inter- 


ALARM   VALVES  147 

ested  party.  In  some  cases,  the  electric  bell  can  be 
located  in  the  power  house  of  some  nearby  plant  where 
there  is  some  one  on  hand  nights,  Sundays  and  holidays. 

The  alarm  valve  should  be  so  located  that  the  supplies 
from  all  automatic  sources  will  pass  through  it.  This 
excludes  steamer  connections  and  occasionally  pump 
supplies  although  it  is  usually  better  practice  to  have 
the  pump  water  pass  through  the  alarm  valve.  This 
necessitates  bringing  all  water  supplies  together  below 
the  valve,  as,  for  instance,  bringing  the  tank  supply 
down  to  the  basement  level  and  connecting  it  with  the 
town  water  supply  under  the  main  gate  valve  and  alarm 
valve.  It  was  formerly  customary  to  feed  the  tank 
supply  into  the  top  of  the  riser  but  this  is  not  allowed 
today,  except  in  the  case  of  risks  having  no  other  sup- 
plies than  gravity  or  pressure  tanks.  In  this  case,  which 
is  sometimes  found  in  cities  having  a  waterworks  sys- 
tem of  very  light  pressure,  the  alarm  valve  and  con- 
trolling gate  valve  may  be  located  at  the  top  of  the 
building  thus  doing  away  with  the  extra  friction  loss 
due  to  the  water  flowing  down  to  the  low  level  and  then 
returning  through  the  riser. 

The  wiring  for  electric  bells  should  be  in  conformity 
with  the  rules  given  in  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Un- 
derwriters' pamphlet  on  Signalling  Systems. 

TESTING 

All  alarm  valves  should  be  tested  occasionally  to  make 
sure  they  are  in  good  working  order.  Once  a  week 
should  be  often  enough  under  any  conditions  and  once 
a  month  is  frequently  sufficient. 

The  principal  sources  of  trouble  to  be  looked  for  are; 
the  failure  of  the  electric  bell  due  to  exhausted'  bat- 
teries, corrosion  at  bell  or  broken  wire;  the  failure  of 
the  rotary  gong  due  to  clogging  at  the  outlet  or  binding 
of  parts;  sticking  at  the  seat  of  the  valve.  This  latter 


148         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

is  infrequent,  but  occasionally  occurs  with  valves  hav- 
ing a  soft  rubber  seat  especially  if  there  is  a  heavy  water 
pressure  on  top  of  the  clapper.  The  electric  bell  is  by 
far  the  most  usual  part  of  the  device  to  get  out  of  order, 
largely  due  to  battery  trouble,  and  it  is  well  to  test  this 
as  often  as  once  a  week.  This  can  be  done  by  short- 
circuiting  the  wires  without  disturbing  the  alarm  check 
or  the  water  rotary.  A  push  button  should  be  installed 
for  this  purpose  connected  directly  to  the  binding  posts 
at  the  circuit  closer  and  not  tapped  into  the  wires  run- 
ning to  the  bell.  In  this  way  the  entire  circuit  is  tested 
and  if  the  main  wires  are  corroded  or  broken  off  at  the 
binding  posts  this  fact  would  be  brought  out  on  test. 
If  the  push  button  is  tapped  into  the  wires  running  to 
the  bell,  any  break  at  the  binding  posts  or  between 
them  and  the  point  where  the  button  is  tapped  in 
would  not  be  discovered  by  the  test. 

A  testing  device  giving  a  record  of  the  test  on  a  paper 
dial  is  very  desirable.  A  small  tester,  made  on  the  same 
principle  as  the  test  clock  for  thermostat  systems,  was 
formerly  made  for  this  purpose  but  so  far  as  is  known  there 
is  nothing  on  the  market  today  suitable  for  this  purpose. 

It  might  be  possible  to  use  a  small  magneto  actuated 
by  the  rotary  gong  instead  of  batteries  for  supplying 
current  to  ring  bells,  thus  doing  away  with  one  of  the 
most  frequent  causes  of  trouble. 

When  a  closed  outside  circuit  is  used,  the  wires  are 
always  in  test  and  it  is  not,  therefore,  necessary  to  make 
frequent  tests  of  the  electrical  features. 

The  best  way  to  make  a  complete  test  is  to  open  the 
small  (usually  half-inch)  test  pipe  at  the  top  of  the 
sprinkler  system.  If  this  is  properly  installed  «t  should 
give  a  flow,  when  wide  open,  approximately  equal  to 
the  discharge  from  one  sprinkler  head,  and  this  is  the 
minimum  flow  at  which  an  alarm  valve  can  be  expected 
to  operate. 


ALARM   VALVES  149 

Defects.  The  principal  defect  in  alarm  valves  today 
is  the  liability  to  false  alarms.  A  modern  valve  prop- 
erly installed  should  give  but  little  trouble  but  if  not 
installed  strictly  according  to  rules,  trouble  may  be 
expected.  This  trouble  is  often  overcome  by  main- 
taining an  excess  pressure  in  the  system  above  the  alarm 
valve.  There  is  no  great  objection  to  doing  this  except 
that  it  causes  extra  work  and  if  carried  to  an  extreme 
may  tend  to  cause  the  valve  to  stick.  It  also  makes  the 
valve  slower  in  operation  as  the  excess  pressure  must 
drop  to  normal  before  the  main  check  will  open.  In 
plants  where  this  is  done  the  Assured  usually  do  not 
test  the  system  as  often  as  it  should  be  tested  and  also 
object  to  tests  being  made  by  insurance  inspectors. 

In  alarm  valves  containing  soft  rubber  facings  the 
rubber  ring  should  be  replaced  every  few  years  and  per- 
haps oftener  where  the  pressure  is  very  heavy. 


FIRE  RECORD 

While  the  record  of  alarm  valves  is  not  very  satisfactory 
so  far  as  false  alarms  is  concerned,  and  while  they  are 
frequently  found  out  of  order  on  inspection,  their  fire 
record  has  certainly  been  good.  The  statistics  of  the 
National  Fire  Protection  Association  for  22  years  cov- 
ering various  forms  of  alarm  service  are  as  follows: 

Fires       Failures 

Thermostats  alone 230          48  21 

Watchmen  alone 1738         179  10 

Sprinkler  alarm  alone 1849        115  6 


APPROXIMATE   COST 

Alarm  valves  cost  from  $250  to  $300  each  according  to 
size  at  present  prices. 


150         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


ASSOCIATED  ALABM  VALVE. 
(Section.) 

ALPHABETICAL  LIST  OF  ALARM  VALVES 
ASSOCIATED 

Associated  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

A-IQI4.     This  device  contained  a  swing  check  valve 
seating  at  a  slight  angle  so  that  it  could  be  used,  either 


ALARM   VALVES 


151 


in  a  vertical  or  horizontal  position.  There  was  an 
auxiliary  check  valve  connected  by  an  arm  to  the  main 
clapper  and  closing  the  port  to  the  alarm  devices.  This 
auxiliary  valve  had  a  loose,  self  centering  valve  disc 
actuated  by  a  light  spring  but  normally  held  on  its  seat 
by  the  water  pressure  in  the  system.  It  was  so  located 
that  it  was  not  likely  to  be  affected  by  scale  or  sediment. 


ASSOCIATED  ALARM  VALVE  RETARDING  CHAMBER. 
(Section.) 

The  Retarding  Chamber  contained  an  inlet  at  the 
lower  side  normally  closed  by  a  valve  and  an  outlet 
to  the  alarm  devices,  taking  out'  at  the  upper  side. 
The  inlet  valve  was  attached  to  a  diaphragm  behind 
which  was  a  coiled  spring.  The  valve  disc  was  drilled 
with  sixteen  small  holes  to  permit  a  small  amount  of 
water  from  the  alarm  valve  to  pass  through  the  inlet 
valve  and  act  on  the  diaphragm.  When  sufficient  pres- 
sure accumulated,  the  diaphragm  was  pushed  back  and 


152         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

the  valve  thereby  opened.  There  was  a  small  drip 
which  drained  the  retarding  chamber  and  this  was  nor- 
mally open.  When  the  inlet  valve  opened,  it  seated 
against  this  drip,  thus  closing  the  drip  outlet.  The  water 
then  filled  the  chamber  and  passed  through  the  outlet 
pipe  to  the  alarm  devices.  When  the  water  flow  ceased 
the  auxiliary  valve  closed,  thus  stopping  the  flow  to  the 
retarding  chamber.  The  diaphragm  was  then  pushed 
forward  by  the  spring,  thus  closing  the  inlet  valve. 
This  action  opened  the  drip  and  drained  the  chamber 
and  pipe  to  the  alarm  devices. 

The  electric  circuit  closer  consisted  of  the  usual  knife 
switch  operated  by  a  diaphragm. 

The  rotary  gong  consists  of  a  wheel  with  single  buckets 
operated  by  two  nozzles. 

The  device  gave  an  alarm  with  from  7  to  10  gallons 
per  minute  flowing.  The  retarding  element  was  about 
20  seconds. 

The  device  was  installed  to  considerable  extent  from 
1914  to  1916  when  the  company  combined  with  the 
Globe  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co. 

Rating:   Not  standard.     Generally  satisfactory. 

CARPENTER 

Patented  by  Orville  -Carpenter  of  Pawtucket,  R.  I. 

1897.  (Probably  used  before  that  time.)  This  was  a 
magnetic  valve  with  no  provision  for  a  water  rotary  at- 
tachment. A  hollow  iron  ball  B  was  used  which  when 
in  its  normal  position  rested  on  lugs  C'  in  the  water  way, 
which  it  practically  filled.  Above  this  point  the  water 
way  was  enlarged  so  that  when  the  ball  was  carried  up 
by  the  movement  of  water  it  did  not  seriouslj*  obstruct 
the  flow.  There  were  also  lugs  D'  higher  up,  to  limit 
the  height  to  which  the  ball  could  rise. 

Outside  the  main  valve  casting  and  separated  from  it 
.by  a  tight  brass  partition  C2  was  a  brass  casing  contain- 


ALARM   VALVES 


153 


ing  a  suspended  magnet  F,  one  end  of  the  magnet  coming 
close  to  the  brass  partition  so  that  the  iron  ball  was  in 
the  field  of  the  magnet. 

When  flowage  occurred  in  the  riser,  the  iron  ball, 
which  nearly  floated,  was  carried  up,  thus  taking  it  out- 
side the  magnetic  field.  The  suspended  magnet  then 


CARPENTER  ALARM  VALVE. 
(Section.) 


swung  back  away  from  the  partition,  and  in  so  doing 
closed  an  electical  circuit  at  /.  This  was  arranged  to 
ring  an  electrical  bell  at  any  desired  location,  through  a 
retarding  element. 

This  valve  was  used  in  a  few  equipments  but  did  not 
prove  satisfactory.  There  was  a  possibility  of  the  ball 
becoming  filled  with  water  and  thus  being  too  heavy  to 
operate  properly. 

Practically  obsolete. 

Rating:  Unreliable. 


154 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


CROWDER 

Made  by  Crowder  Bros.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

1909.  Vertical  check  seating  on  a  horizontal  valve 
seat.  It  is  guided  by  a  stem  at  the  top  and  three  pro- 
jecting brackets  underneath.  There  is  an  auxiliary 


\ 


CIRCUIT  CLOSER 


RETARDING  CHAMBER  — 


GUIDE  STEM 


COLLAR 


VALVE  SEAT 


.DRIP 


CROWDER  ALARM  VALVE. 

valve  attached  to  the  main  valve  and  closing  over  an 
opening  running  to  a  retarding  chamber,  When  the 
main  valve  is  on  its  seat,  the  auxiliary  valve  closes  the 
outlet  to  the  retarding  chamber.  There  is  a  small  pet- 
cock  in  the  pipe  to  the  chamber  and  this  is  normally 
open. 


ALARM  VALVES  155 

When  the  main  check  rises,  the  auxiliary  valve  is 
opened  and  water  flows  into  the  retarding  chamber. 
The  retarding  action  is  due  to  the  difference  in  capacity 
of  the  pipe  to  the  retarding  chamber  and  the  open 
drip  through  the  petcock.  There  are  no  valves  in  this 
chamber.  Said  to  operate  under  normal  conditions  in 
5  to  8  seconds. 

Rotary  gong  when  used  is  connected  to  the  pipe  run- 
ning to  retarding  chamber  at  petcock. 

Has  been  used  to  a  limited  extent  since  1909.  Field 
experience  said  to  be  satisfactory. 

Rating:   Not  standard. 

EVANS 

Merchant  &  Evans  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

D-IQI4.  This  valve  contained  a  weighted  swing 
clapper,  seating  at  an  angle.  The  passage  to  the  retard- 
ing chamber  was  controlled  by  an  adjustable  auxiliary 
valve  supported  on  an  arm  extending  from  the  main 
clapper.  This  valve  consisted  of  a  bronze  plunger  with- 
out diaphragm  or  spring  but  held  to  its  seat  by  the 
water  pressure. 

The  valve  remained  seated  after  the  main  clapper 
had  slightly  opened,  thus  giving  a  retarding  action. 
A  J-inch  pipe  led  from  the  auxiliary  valve  to  the  upper 
part  of  the  retarding  chamber  where  it  was  screened. 
There  was  a  double  diaphragm  in  the  lower  part  of  the 
chamber,  the  upper  part  of  which  contained  a  ^Vinch 
hole.  Attached  to  the  diaphragm  was  a  valve  which 
normally  closed  the  port  leading  from  the  inlet  screen. 
There  was  a  small  hole  in  this  valve  which  allowed 
water  to  drain  down  to  the  diaphragms,  hence  through 
the  small  hole  in  the  upper  diaphragm  to  the  drip 
pipe  which  was  connected  between  the  diaphragms. 
Below  the  diaphragms  was  a  pressure  chamber  connected 
by  a  small  pipe  to  the  main  riser  below  the  alarm  check. 


156 


ALARM  VALVES  157 

Normally  the  pressure  from  the  water  in  the  riser 
acting  through  the  small  pipe  on  the  under  side  of  the 
lower  diaphragm  held  the  diaphragm  up,  thus  closing 
the  small  valve  in  the  port,  which  was  attached  to  it. 
In  case  of  water  flow  in  the  system  the  auxiliary  valve 
opened,  thus  allowing  water  to  flow  into  the  upper 
part  of  the  retarding  chamber.  A  small  amount  of 
water  passing  through  the  small  hole  in  the  diaphragm 
valve  and  the  hole  in  the  upper  diaphragm  acted  on  the 
lower  diaphragm,  finally  forcing  it  down  and  opening 
the  valve  in  the  port.  This  gave  full  opening  to  the 
alarm  devices  which  were  connected  by  a  pipe  leaving 
the  retarding  chamber  at  a  point  between  the  upper 
diaphragm  and  the  attached  valve.  When  the  water 
flow  ceased  the  retarding  chamber  and  piping  were 
drained  through  the  small  holes  mentioned  above. 

The  electric  circuit  closer  and  rotary  gong  were  of  the 
usual  type,  there  being  two  nozzles  pointing  downward 
to  actuate  the  water  motor. 

This  device  gave  an  alarm  with  about  9  gallons  per 
minute  flowing  in  the  system.  The  retarding  element 
was  about  15  seconds. 

Field  experience  is  generally  satisfactory. 

Rating:   Not  standard.    Generally  satisfactory. 

GRAY 

Frank  Gray,  Chicago. 

1897.  Double  vertical  check  valve  on  a  single  spindle 
running  in  a  guide.  From  the  intermediate  space  be- 
tween the  two  valves  a  pipe  ran  to  a  small  chamber 
containing  a  cylindrical  float.  This  chamber  was 
drained  by  a  small  open  pipe.  There  was  a  small  by- 
pass around  the  two  valves  to  take  care  of  water 
hammer. 

When  the  flowage  was  sufficient  to  raise  the  valves, 
water  filled  the  intermediate  space  and  flowing  into  the 


158         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


GARRETT  ALARM  VALVE. 


ALARM  VALVES 


159 


chamber  raised  the  float  which  closed  an  electrical  cir- 
cuit by  forcing  two  contact  points  together. 

No  rotary  gong  was  shown  in  the  patent  drawing 
although  this  could  readily  be  installed. 

Not  generally  used  so  far  as  known. 

Now  practically  obsolete. 

GARRETT 

Globe  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.,  Cincinnati,  0. 

This  is  a  swing  check  seating  on  a  grooved  horizontal 
seat.     There  is  a  rubber  facing  on 
the  clapper  to  make  a  tight  joint. 

The  pipe  from  the  grooved  seat 
runs    to    the     lower    part    of 


GARRETT  ALARM  VALVE. 
(Section.) 

A,  main  casting. 

C,  outlet  from  grooved  seat. 

D,  main  clapper. 

E,  valve  seat. 

F,  groove. 


GARRETT  RETARDING 
CHAMBER. 
(Section.) 
I,  diaphragm. 
M,  weighted  rod. 
D,  drip  valve. 


160         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

retarding  chamber.  There  is  a  metal  diaphragm  at 
the  upper  end  of  the  chamber  which,  when  it  is  thrown 
up,  operates  a  knife  switch  connected  to  the  electrical 
circuit.  A  weighted  rod  is  attached  to  the  diaphragm 
and  at  the  lower  end  of  this  rod  is  a  valve  leading  to  a 
drip  pipe.  A  f-inch  pipe  to  the  rotary  gong  connects 
to  the  chamber  near  its  upper  end. 

Water  entering  the  chamber  from  the  grooved  seat 
leaks  out  through  the  drip  valve  until  enough  pressure 
has  accumulated  to  throw  up  the  diaphragm.  •  This 
closes  the  drip  valve  and  at  the  same  time  operates  the 
knife  switch  on  the  electrical  circuit. 

Field  experience  limited  but  said  to  be  satisfactory. 

Rating:   Not  standard.     Generally  satisfactory. 
GLOBE  A,  B,   C. 
Globe  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

Models  A,  B,  and  C  were  experimental  types  varying 
only  slightly  from  later  types,  particularly  with  refer- 


GLOBE  ALARM  VALVE  (Model  E). 


ALARM   VALVES 


161 


ence  to  supplementary  opening  and  clearance  around 
hinge  pins. 

Model  D,  1916.     Same  as  Evans  D. 

Model  E,  1917.  Similar  to  Model  D  except  opening 
to  retarding  chamber  is  located  higher  up  above  main 
current  of  water  where  it  is  less  liable  to  clogging  and 
is  easily  accessible  when  bonnet  is  removed.  There  are 
two  outlets  for  standard  drip  pipes  and  other  minor 
changes  including  slight  change  in  circuit  closer. 

Rating:    Not  standard.     Generally  satisfactory. 

GRINNELL  ANGLE  ALARM  VALVE 

Made  by  the  Providence  Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Co. 

1885.     This  consisted  of  a  vertical  check  valve  lo- 


GRINNELL  ANGLE  ALARM  VALVE. 
(Section.) 

cated  in  a  casting  which  was  in  the  form  of  an  angle. 
There  was  a  round  stem  containing  a  groove  attached 


162         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 

to  the  lower  side  of  the  check.  A  pin  was  inserted  in 
the  side  of  the  valve  in  such  a  way  that  one  end  of  the 
pin  rested  in  the  groove  of  the  stem  when  the  valve  was 
closed.  When  the  check  was  raised  by  the  passage  of 
water,  this  pin  was  pushed  outwards  a  short  distance 
by  the  pressure  of  the  stem  below  the  groove.  This 
motion  was  utilized  to  make  an  electrical  connection  or 
to  trip  a  mechanical  gong. 

A  good  deal  of  trouble  developed  in  the  course  of  years 
from  the  sticking  of  the  pin,  for  there  had  to  be  a  stuffing 
box  to  make  a  water-tight  joint.  Another  undesirable 
feature  was  the  possibility  of  the  pin  becoming  bent 
and  thus  being  prevented  from  moving  easily  along  its 
guides.  These  defects  were  so  serious  that  this  type 
of  valve  was  finally  condemned  and  most  of  them  have 
either  been  taken  out  or  have  had  the  pin  removed. 

A  considerable  number  were  installed.  Field  experi- 
ence fairly  satisfactory  for  a  few  years. 

Present  rating:  Unreliable.  A  menace  to  sprinkler 
system. 

GRINNELL  ENGLISH  ALARM  VALVE 

Patented  by  Dowson  &  Taylor.  Manufactured  by 
Providence  Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Co.  Later  by  the 
General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co. 

1-1888.  A  vertical  check  valve  with  a  rubber  facing 
seated  on  a  grooved  seat.  A  small  auxiliary  valve  in 
main  check  allowed  water  to  pass  upwards  through  the 
valve  but  not  to  return.  This  tended  to  create  an  ex- 
cess pressure  above  the  valve  and  thus  to  prevent  false 
alarms. 

Pipe  from  grooved  seat  ran  direct  to  rotary  gong  and 
circuit  closer  with  no  interrupting  pot. 

But  few  installed.     Now  practically  obsolete. 

Rating:  Subject  to  false  alarms.     Unsatisfactory. 


ALARM   VALVES 


163 


OUTLET  AND 
DRIP    PROTECTED 
FROM    FREEZING 


GRINNELL  ENGLISH  ALARM 
VALVE  1.     (Section.) 


2-1890.  Similar  to  No.  1  but  with  interrupting  pot. 
This  pot  had  a  small  outlet  at  the  bottom  protected  by 
a  long  vertical  strainer.  The  outlet  being  smaller  than 
the  inlet  the  pot  gradually  filled  with  water  when  the 
main  check  valve  was  raised  and  water  entered  the 
grooved  seat. 

Some  of  the  early  types  gave  trouble  from  sticking  of 
the  rubber  valve  at  the  grooved  seat.  This  was  espe- 
cially the  case  where  the  valve  was  in  a  warm  place  or 
where  there  was  normally  a  heavy  pressure  on  top  of  the 
valve.  Later  a  hard  rubber  was  used  for  this  purpose. 


164 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


There  was  a  metal  diaphragm   at   the   top  of  the 
chamber.     When  the  chamber  became  full  of  water  this 
diaphragm    was    raised    and 
an  electrical  connection  was 
made. 

The  time  element  of  the  re- 
tarding chamber  was  about 
20  seconds. 

The  water  rotary  connected 
directly  with  the  pipe  from 
the  grooved  seat.  The  water 
rotary  gong,  consisting  of  a 
wheel  with  paddles  like  a 
water  wheel,  was  revolved  by 
a  stream  of  water  issuing  from 
a  nozzle.  When  the  wheel 
revolved,  a  hinged  hammer 
on  the  outside  of  the 
building  was  made  to 
strike  a  large  gong. 

A  large  number 
were  installed.  Field 
experience  quite  sat- 
isfactory though  the 
device  was  somewhat 


GRINNELL  ENGLISH  ALARM  VALVE  2. 

RETARDING  CHAMBER. 

(Section.) 


subject  to  false 
alarms.  New  circuit 
closers,  properly 
vented,  have  been  in- 
stalled on  some  of  these  old  valves  to  obviate  this  trouble. 

Rating:   Not  standard.     Fairly  satisfactory. 

3-1900.  Main  valve  similar  to  previous  ty$e  but  with- 
out auxiliary  check  valve.  Interrupting  chamber  and 
circuit  closer  redesigned.  The  outlet  pipe  from  the 
chamber  ended  in  an  elbow  pointing  up.  A  valve  arranged 
to  close  the  end  of  this  outlet  was  attached  to  a  metal 


ALARM   VALVES 


165 


diaphragm  in  the  bottom  of  the  chamber.  The  pipe 
to  the  circuit  closer  and  rotary  gong  connected  at  the 
top  of  the  chamber. 

When  the  water  entered 
the  chamber  from  the 
grooved  seat  it  created  a 
pressure  on  this  dia- 
phragm. When  the  cham- 
ber became  full,  the  pres- 
sure  was  sufficient  to 
operate  the  diaphragm. 
This  pulled  down  the 
valve  onto  the  outlet  pipe 
and  closed  the  outlet. 
The  water  then  flowed  to 
the  rotary  gong  and  cir- 
cuit closer  from  the  top 
of  the  chamber. 

The  circuit  closer  con- 
tained a  diaphragm  which 
operated  a  knife  switch. 

Many   of  these  valves 
were  installed  and  are  still 
in  use       Where  properly  GRINNELL  ENGLISH  ALARM  VALVE  3. 
installed  the  field  experi-  RETARDING  CHAMBER. 

ence  has  been  quite  satis- 
factory. 

Rating:   Not  standard.     Generally  satisfactory. 


GRINNELL  STRAIGHTWAY  ALARM   VALVE 
General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Providence,  R.  I. 

1908.  Swing  check  with  grooved  seat.  Capable  of 
being  used  in  upright  or  horizontal  position.  A  pipe 
from  grooved  seat  runs  to  an  interrupting  chamber  of 
the  same  design  as  that  used  in  the  No.  3  English  Alarm 


166         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

valve.     Circuit  closer  and  rotary  gong  are  also  of  the 
same  design  as  those  in  the  English  Alarm  No.  3. 


GRINNELL  STRAIGHTWAY  ALARM  VALVE. 
(Section.) 

Criticized  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  in  1907 
as  follows: 

Somewhat  subject  to  false  alarms. 
Susceptible  to  improper  installation. 
Water  motor  alarm  inefficient. 

Many  of  these  valves  are  in  use.     Where  properly  in- 
stalled field  experience  has  been  quite  satisfactory. 
Rating:    Not  standard.     Generally  satisfactory. 

HARKNESS   TEE 

Made    by    the    Harkness    Fire    Extinguisher    Co.     Re- 
designed by  the  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co. 
This  was  a  constant-pressure  alarm  designed  for  branch 
pipes.     It  consisted  of  a  thin  copper  flapper  supported 
by  a  flexible  diaphragm.     When  in  its  normal  position, 
the  flapper  closed  the  water  way.      In  case  of  flowase 


ALARM   VALVES 


167 


it  was  pushed  to  one  side  and  this  motion  transmitted 
through  the  flexible  tube  made  an  electrical  contact 
outside  the  pipe. 

It  was  not  designed  to  use  with  a  water  rotary  gong  and 
could  only  be  used  where  the  water  pressure  was  very 
constant,  as  where  a  tank  was  the  primary  supply. 


HARKNESS  TEE. 

J,  main  casting.     H,  circuit  closer.    F,  G,  wires 
to  circuit  closer. 

By  installing  one  on  the  branch  pipe  feeding  each  floor 
and  connecting  the  wiring  to  an  annunciator,  the  device 
would  show  the  floor  on  which  a  fire  occurred. 

Used  to  a  considerable  extent  in  city  risks.  As  re- 
designed it  is  being  used  in  connection  with  supervisory 
apparatus. 

Field  experience  quite  satisfactory. 

Rating:  Not  standard.  Satisfactory  under  constant 
pressures  only. 


168          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

HUNT 

Jarvis   Hunt,  Chicago.     Assigned  to    Phoenix  Fire  Ex- 
tinguisher Co. 

1904.  Vertical  check  valve,  hollow  and  shaped  like  a 
truncated  cone.  It  was  guided  by  rods  passing  through 
supports  above  and  below  the  check.  Seated  on  a 
grooved  seat,  a  pipe  from  which  ran  to  the  atmosphere. 

No  retarding  element  or  alarm  connections  shown  in 
the  patent  drawing.  Valve  designed  to  be  used  either 
as  a  differential  dry  valve  or  an  alarm  valve.  The 
buoyancy  of  the  valve  was  supposed  to  prevent  water 
columning. 

Not  used  to  any  extent  so  far  as  known. 

INTERNATIONAL 

Made  by  International  Sprinkler  Co.,  Philadelphia. 

1 90 1.  This  company  first  used  an  alarm  valve  of  the 
swing  clapper  type  with  a  stem  extending  through  a 
stuffing  box.  This  was  soon  discarded  for  the  better 
known  "horn  "  type.  This  valve  was  put  on  the  mar- 
ket in  1901  and  consisted  of  a  swing  check  valve  seating 
at  a  slight  angle,  designed  to  be  used  in  either  a  verti- 
cal or  horizontal  position.  A  horn,  connected  to  a 
small  pipe,  extended  through  the  casing  into  the  water 
way  just  below  the  check  valve.  When  on  its  seat,  the 
check  valve  also  rested  on  the  end  of  the  horn,  thus 
tightly  closing  the  outlet  into  the  small  pipe.  There 
was  a  diaphragm  inserted  in  the  lower  side  of  the  main 
check,  at  the  point  where  the  check  valve  covered  the- 
horn.  There  were  perforations  in  the  edge  of  this  dia- 
phragm so  as  to  admit  water  above  it,  thus  making  it 
easier  to  adjust  the  valve  so  as  to  give  a  tight  joint  both 
at  the  main  seat  and  at  the  horn. 

When  the  check  valve  was  raised  off  its  seat,  due  to 
flowage  in  the  system,  water  entered  the  horn  and  flowed 
to  the  interrupting  pot  and  finally  actuated  the  alarms. 


ALARM   VALVES 


169 


INTERNATIONAL  ALARM  VALVE.    TYPE  C. 


170          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

The  interrupting  chamber  or  time  element  was  of  an 
entirely  different  principle  from  that  in  any  other  valve. 
It  consisted  of  three  compartments,  an  upper,  a  middle 
and  a  lower  one.  A  valve  between  the  lower  and  mid- 
dle compartments  was  held  closed  by  water  pressure  com-* 
ing  through  a  pipe  that  connected  with  the  riser  below 
the  main  check  and  ran  to  the  lower  compartment. 
The  small  pipe  from  the  horn  ran  to  the  upper  compart- 
ment. There  was  a  thin  metal  diaphragm  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  upper  compartment  separating  it  from  the 
middle  one.  The  pipe  to  the  alarm  devices  connected 
with  the  middle  compartment. 

When  the  alarm  valve  was  closed,  no  water  could  enter 
the  horn  and  there  was  therefore  no  pressure  in  the 
upper  compartment.  The  water  pressure  from  below 
the  main  valve  held  closed  the  valve  between  the  middle 
and  lower  compartments.  There  was,  therefore,  no  pres- 
sure in  the  middle  compartment. 

When  the  main  check  valve  opened,  water  entered  the 
horn  and  flowed  from  this  into  the  upper  compartment. 
When  this  became  full,  the  pressure  forced  down  the 
diaphragm  in  the  bottom  of  this  compartment,  thus 
opening  the  valve  between  the  middle  and  lower  com- 
partments. The  water  from  the  lower  pipe  then  flowed 
into  the  middle  compartment  and  thence  to  the  circuit 
closer,  the  water  rotary  gong  or  both. 

This  valve  was  criticized  by  the  Underwriters'  Lab- 
oratories in  1905  as  follows: 

1.  Variable  in  action  under  high  and  low  pressure  especially  with 
small  water  flows. 

2.  Subject  to  leakage  (through  valve). 

3.  Some  parts  fragile  and  susceptible  to  improper  adjustment. 

In  1912  they  criticized  in  addition: 

1.  Liability  to  false  alarms. 

2.  Reliability  doubtful  under  service  pressures  of  less  than  25 
pounds. 

3.  May  obstruct  flew  of  water  in  riser. 


ALARM   VALVES  171 

A  large  number  of  these  valves  have  been  installed 
and  the  field  experience  has  been  generally  satisfactory. 

There  are  four  types  of  this  valve  varying  but  little 
from  each  other.  Early  types  sometimes  known  as 
Evans'  Alarm  Valve. 

A- 1 90 1.  Horn  of  large  diameter  (Ij-inch  in  6-inch 
size)  with  flaring  outlet  seating  on  diaphragm  in  about 
the  center  of  the  clapper.  Circuit  closer  on  top  of  re- 
tarding chamber. 

B-IQO2.  Horn  of  smaller  diameter  (T\-mch)  and  not 
flaring  as  much,  seating  in  center  of  clapper. 

€-1903.  Similar  to  B  but  horn  somewhat  off  center 
of  clapper. 

D-i9o6.  Diaphragm  discarded  and  horn  seats  on  an 
adjustable  plug  adjusted  from  upper  side  of  clapper. 

Circuit  closer  connected  to  pipe  running  to  rotary 
gong  in  all  but  A. 

Rating  of  all  types:  Generally  satisfactory. 

MANUFACTURERS 

Manufacturers  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  of  New   York. 

Swing  check  with  packed  stem.  Subject  to.  false 
alarms  under  fluctuating  pressures. 

Present  rating :     Unreliable  and  menace  to  .  sprinkler 


VENTURI  OR  MANUFACTURERS 

Submitted  to  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  by 
McNab  &  Harin  Manufacturing  Co. 

The  Venturi  alarm  valve  is  made  by  the  Ohio  Auto- 
matic Sprinkler  Co.,  and  installed  by  the  "  Automatic  " 
Sprinkler  Co.  of  America. 

A-I9O7.  There  is  a  weighted  check  valve  around 
which  there  is  a  small  by- pass  containing  a  Venturi  tube. 
This  tube,  starting  with  a  given  diameter  at  the  lower 
side  of  the  main  check,  decreases  rapidly  in  diameter 
until  the  throat  is  reached  and  then  increases  more 


5   i 


.p,   -     -   _n     -  -    —     fl  S 

lil^-Plili 


II 

Bfi 

i  a 
s  I 
si  aigi^s 

ft  ,4    eg    2  «*-   *3    fl  <u 


i's 

rfj  ^ 

Sd 
fl5 


bb   0 


of  co"  rjT 


I! 


§•£:*•! 


diaph 
hole 


Is 


S  ^  -p 


»o       c3  J§       10 


r-l  CO    (N    CO 


174         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

gradually  to  the  original  diameter.  Water  passing 
through  such  a  tube  increases  in  velocity  and  decreases 
proportionally  in  pressure  at  the  throat.  This  feature 
is  used  in  an  ingenious  way  to  actuate  an  alarm-giving 
device.  A  double  column,  or,  more  correctly,  a  double 
chamber  of  mercury,  is  arranged  with  a  heavy  iron  float 
on  one  side  of  the  column.  When  in  its  normal  posi- 
tion, this  float  holds  closed  a  valve  on  the  end  of  a  pipe 
leading  to  the  circuit  closer  and  rotary  gong.  There  is 
one  pipe  running  from  the  riser  below  the  main  check 
valve  to  the  float  side  of  the  mercury  column  and  an- 
other pipe  running  from  the  throat  of  the  Venturi  tube 
to  the  other  side  of  the  column.  When  the  system  is  in 
normal  condition,  the  mercury  is  at  the  same  level  in 
each  side  of  the  column  and  the  valve  on  the  pipe  to 
the  gongs  is  closed.  When  water  begins  to  flow  in  the 
riser,  it  causes  a  flow  through  the  Venturi  tube.  The 
pressure  at  the  throat  of  the  tube  is  decreased  and  this 
decrease  is  transmitted  to  one  side  of  the  mercury  col- 
umn. The  float  therefore  falls  and  opens  the  small 
valve  to  the  gongs. 

This  type  of  valve  has  been  used  quite  successfully 
for  several  years.  One  feature  that  is  apt  .to  cause 
trouble  and  which  must  be  carefully  watched  is  the 
wedging  open  of  the  main  check  valve  which  might 
cause  a  failure  of  the  alarm  to  operate  and  still  would 
give  no  trouble  alarm.  In  case  a  small  stick,  stone  or 
other  obstruction  should  lodge  on  the  seat  of  the  check 
and  hold  it  open  no  alarm  or  trouble  signal  would  prob- 
ably be  given.  In  case  a  sprinkler  opened,  the  water 
to  feed  it  would  flow  through  the  main  check  instead  of 
through  the  Venturi  by-pass.  In  other  types  of  valves 
the  wedging  open  of  the  check  valve  in  this  way  will 
cause  a  continuous  alarm  until  the  trouble  is  remedied 
and  no  failure  in  case  of  fire  would  result. 

To  reduce  the  possibility  of  such  trouble  to  a  mini- 


ALARM   VALVES  175 

mum  a  quarter-inch  test  pipe  is  installed  just  above 
the  main  check.  This  can  be  used  to  make  a  final  test 
after  there  has  been  a  flowage  of  water  through  the 
system.  If  the  alarms  will  operate  with  this  quarter- 
inch  test  pipe  open,  it  is  safe  to  assume  that  the  main 
check  is  on  its  seat  or  at  least  there  is  not  enough  ob- 
struction under  it  to  cause  trouble. 

Another  feature  which  is  liable  to  cause  trouble  is  the 
possible  leakage  of  mercury  at  the  gage  joints,  although 
this  has  now  been  well  guarded  against. 

The  time  element  in  this  valve  depends  upon  the  size 
of  the  orifice  through  which  the  mercury  has  to  pass  in 
flowing  from  one  chamber  to  the  other.  This  orifice  is 
wedge  shaped  so  that  the  mercury  flows  back  a  little 
faster  than  it  flows  in. 

Reported  upon  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  in 
1909.  Features  criticized: 

1.  Unreliability  of  alarm  at  rates  of  flow  around  300  gallons  per 
minute. 

2.  Danger  of  clogging  of  mercury  column. 

3.  Danger  of  mercury  leakage. 

4.  Susceptibility  to  misadjustment. 

5.  Effects  of  water  eddies  at  inlet. 

6.  Inaccessibility  of  main  valve  seat. 

7.  Liability  of  failure  to  send  in  alarm  if  check  is  not  tightly 
seated. 

In  June,  1912,  the  following  criticism  was  also  made. 

Liability  to  false  alarms. 

A  large  number  have  been  installed  and  field  experi- 
ence has  been  generally  satisfactory  where  properly  in- 
stalled and  adjusted. 

Rating:   Not  standard.     Generally  satisfactory. 

B-IQIO.  Similar  to  A  but  with  main  check  valve 
seating  at  an  angle  and  Venturi  tube  in  a  vertical  posi- 
tion. There  is  less  liability  of  this  device  being  im- 
properly set  up. 

Rating:   Not  standard.     Generally  satisfactory. 


176         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


VENTURI  ALARM  VALVE  3D. 

30-1914.     Similar  to  type  A  except  as  follows: 

1.  Main  clapper  is  less  heavily  weighted  and  has  a 
boss  projecting  about  J  inch  below  the  seat  ring.     This 
retards  the  wide  opening  of  the  clapper  at  the  first  part 
of  its  movement. 

2.  Connected  to  the   spindle   of  the   main    clappers 
and  moving  with  it,  except  for  a  slight  looseness,  is  a 
J-inch  auxiliary  clapper  covering  the  outlet  to  a  double- 
seated  tube.     The  inner  tube  leads  to   a  waste  pipe 
and  the  outer  tube  or  channel  leads  through  a  small 
pipe  into  the  Venturi  tube  at  a  point  about  half  way 


ALARM   VALVES  177 

along  its  down-stream  nozzle.  This  auxiliary  device 
insured  that  water  will  always  be  drawn  through  the 
tube,  giving  an  alarm  whenever  the  main  clapper  is 
off  its  seat  and  thereby  eliminating  the  principal  defect 
in  the  former  device.  As  the  small  check  operates 
with  the  main  check,  the  channelled  seat  ring  is  exposed 
when  the  main  check  opens  and  water  will  flow  through 
the  Venturi  tube  to  the  open  air  by  way  of  the  chan- 
nelled seat  and  bleed  pipe. 

3.  The  Venturi  tube  has  been  slightly  modified  in 
form  to  give  more  correct  velocities.     It  is  placed  ver- 
tically and  is  covered  at  the  outlet  or  upper  end  by  a 
gravity  check  valve.     Screens  have  been  placed  at  both 
ends  of  the  Venturi  tube. 

4.  The  mercury  pot  is  now  a  solid  casting  with  no 
glass   gage   or   other  joints   below  the   mercury  level. 
This  to  prevent  possible  leakage  of  mercury. 

The  small  passage  from  the  high  to  the  low  pressure 
side  of  the  mercury  pot  contains  a  small  hard  rubber 
differential  check  device  operating  vertically  by  means 
of  its  buoyancy  in  the  mercury.  This  permits  prompt 
restoration  of  the  mercury  level  in  the  two  chambers 
after  the  flow  has  stopped,  thus  tending  to  eliminate 
false  alarms. 

The  iron  float  has  vertical  corrugations  on  the  side 
to  reduce  the  friction.  The  pipe  to  the  gong  opens 
downward  with  a  horizontal  valve  seat  so  no  deposit 
is  likely  to  obstruct  this  valve. 

5.  The  motor  pipe  chamber  has  been  screened  and 
there  are  hand  plugs  to  clean  out  the  space  below  the 
screen.     A  brass  plug  with  small  orifice  has  been  tapped 
into  this  chamber  to  drain  the  pipe  to  gong  after  the 
alarm  has  been  given. 

Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  in  July, 
1915.     Field  experience  fairly  satisfactory. 
Rating:  Standard. 


VENTURI  ALARM  VALVE  3  D. 
(Section.) 


ALARM   VALVES 


179 


NEU 

Gustave  S.  Neu,  New   York  City. 

Installed  by  the  Walworth  Manufacturing  Co.  and 
other  sprinkler  concerns. 

This  consisted  of  a  vertical  check  valve  seating  on  a 
horizontal  valve  seat  in  much  the 
same  way  as  the  disc  of  a  Globe 
shut-off  valve. 

There  was  a  spindle  on  the  lower 
side  running  in  an  interior  guide 
supported  by  two  arms.  On  the  up- 
per side  was  another  spindle  carrying 
a  small  plunger  which  ran  through 
a  stuffing  box  to  a  metal  casing  at- 
tached to  the  top  of  the  valve.  In 
this  casing  were  two  contact  points 
which  were  brought  together  when 
the  plunger  was  thrown  up  by  the 
opening  of  the  check  valve,  thus 
closing  an  electric  circuit  and  ringing 
a  bell. 


NEU  ALARM  VALVE. 
(Part  in  section.) 
V,  valve  clapper. 
F,  spindle. 

A,  contact  case. 

B,  contact  points. 


This  device  had  no  provision  for  a  water  rotary  alarm. 
It  was  subject  to  sticking  at  the  stuffing  box. 

It  was  used  to  a  considerable  extent  about  1895. 

Reported  upon  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories  in  1905. 
All  features  criticized. 

Rating:    Unreliable.     A  menace  to  sprinkler  system. 

NIAGARA 

Niagara  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Akron,  Ohio. 

This  was  a  swing-check  valve  with  a  weighted  clapper 
seating  on  a  phosphor  bronze  seat  ring.  The  arm  carry- 
ing the  clapper  was  keyed  to  a  rod  which  passed  through 
the  casing  and  actuated  the  alarm  device  on  the  outside. 
The  rod  or  stem  was  rotated  as  the  clapper  opened  or 
closed.  Instead  of  a  stuffing  box  at  the  point  where  the 


180         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

stem  passed  through  the  casing,  as  was  customary  in  old 
valves  of  this  type,  a  flexible  ground  joint  was  used. 
This  consisted  of  a  ring  attached  to  a  metal  diaphragm 
bearing  on  a  ground  plate.  The  water  pressure  in  the 
system  acting  on  the  diaphragm  caused  a  pressure  on 
this  ground  joint  which  kept  it  tight.  Not  used  to  any 
extent  so  far  as  known. 
Present  rating:  Unreliable. 

ROCKWOOD 

Worcester  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.     Later  Rockwood  Sprink- 
ler Co. 

1-1906.  This  was  built  on  the  same  lines  as  the 
Grinnell  English  pattern  No.  3.  The  main  valve  was  a 
vertical  check  with  rubber  seat.  The  retarding  cham- 


ROCKWOOD  ALARM  VALVE  A. 
(Section.) 

ber  had  a  valve  at  the  end  of  the  outlet  pipe  closed  by 
the  movement  of  a  metal  diaphragm. 

But  very  few  valves  of  this  type  were  installed,  and 
the  retarding  chambers  have  now  all  been  replaced. 

Rating:  Obsolete. 

A-IQOQ.     Similar  to  No.  1,  except  a  swing  check  was 


ALARM  VALVES 


181 


used.  Retarding  chamber  redesigned.  The  pipe  from 
the  grooved  seat  entered  the  base  of  the  retarding  cham- 
ber through  a  screen.  Taking  a  sharp  curve  it  flowed 
through  a  Venturi  tube  into  the  chamber  proper.  A 
small  drip  ran  from  the  throat  of  the  Venturi  tube  to  a 
drip  pipe.  This  acted  as  a  drain  for  the  entire  retarding 
chamber. 


RETARDINC  CHAMBER 

ROCKWOOD  ALARM  VALVE  TYPE  B. 

Section  of  valve  on  right.     Sections  of  retarding  chamber  on  left. 
C,  by-pass  around  main  check.    B,  auxiliary  valve  in  by-pass. 

In  case  of  water  hammer  the  water  from  the  grooved 
seat  would  not  fill  the  chamber  and  would  quickly  drain 
out.  In  any  case  there  would  be  a  constant  flowage 
from  the  drip  pipe  while  the  main  check  was  off  its 
seat. 

This  valve  was  installed  to  a  considerable  extent  and 
gave  fairly  good  results.  Somewhat  subject  to  failure 
of  rotary  under  light  pressures. 


182         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


ROCKWOOD  ALARM  VALVE. 
Exterior  view  showing  retarding  chamber,  et-c. 


ALARM  VALVES  .     183 

Rating:   Not  standard.     Generally  satisfactory. 

B-IQII.  Main  valve  redesigned.  Same  retarding 
chamber  as  in  A. 

Main  valve  consists  of  a  swing  check  seating  on  a 
horizontal  grooved  seat.  Designed  for  a  vertical  posi- 
tion only.  There  is  a  small  by-pass  (IJ-inch  on  4-inch 
size)  around  the  main  check  with  a  swing  check  at  the 
upper  end.  This  check  closes  on  the  open  end  of  the 
by-pass.  A  J-inch  pipe  runs  from  the  small  by-pass  to 
the  retarding  chamber  connecting  with  the  pipe  from  the 
main  check  just  outside  the  chamber.  This  by-pass  is 
designed  to  take  care  of  small  flows  and  water  hammer 
so  that  the  main  valve  will  not  open  frequently. 

This  valve  is  being  extensively  installed  and  is  giving 
fairly  good  satisfaction. 

Rating:   Not  standard.     Generally  satisfactory. 

WALWORTH 

Walworth  Manufacturing  Co.,  Boston. 

This  was  a  swing  check  with  lever  attached  to  check 
passing  through  stuffing  box  to  outside  of  the  casing. 

The  movement  of  the  lever,  when  the         ^^  ^ 

check  opened,  tripped  a  mechanical  gong. 
No  water  rotary  could  be  used  with  this 
valve. 

Used    to    considerable    extent.     Now 
practically  obsolete. 

Field  experience  unsatisfactory.     Sub- 
ject to  false  alarms  and  sticking  at  the    .     ALW°RTH 

ALARM  VALVE. 
packed  stem. 

Rating:    Unreliable  and  a  menace  to  system. 

Note:  In  late  equipments  the  Walworth  Co.  used  the  Grinnell 
English  type  valve  to  some  extent. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

DRY   SYSTEMS   AND   DRY  VALVES 
DRY  SYSTEMS.     GENERAL  FEATURES 

A  dry-pipe  system  is  one  in  which  there  is  air  under 
pressure,  instead  of  water,  in  the  sprinkler  pipes. 

These  systems  are  needed  in  buildings  which  are  not 
sufficiently  heated  to  prevent  freezing  in  winter.  They 
are  never  considered  quite  as  effective  as  wet-pipe  sys- 
tems as  they  are  slower  in  action,  more  complicated 
and  more  likely  to  cause  interruptions  in  the  sprinkler 
service. 

A  dry-pipe  system  is  installed  in  a  similar  manner  to  a 
wet-pipe  system  except  that  more  care  is  necessary  in 
arranging  all  parts  to  drain  properly  and,  on  account  of 
the  increased  difficulty  of  holding  air  under  pressure, 
extra  precaution  should  be  taken  to  make  all  joints  as 
tight  as  possible.  A  dry  valve  is  installed  in  the  system, 
usually  inside  the  building  at  the  lowest  level,  and  when 
the  system  is  in  normal  condition  there  is  no  water  in 
the  pipes  above  this  point. 

DRY  VALVES 

A  dry-pipe  valve  is  a  device  for  holding  back  the  water 
in  a  sprinkler  system  until  fire  occurs  and  then  opening 
automatically  and  allowing  the  water  to  flow  into  the 
pipes.  Air  is  pumped  into  the  pipes  above  the  4rY 
valve  and  the  pressure  thus  created  holds  the  valve 
closed.  These  valves  are  always  designed  so  fe  moderate 
amount  of  air  pressure  will  hold  back  a  much  heavier 
water  pressure.  This  is  done  for  two  reasons:  first, 
because  a  heavy  air  pressure  is  difficult  to  pump  up  and 

184 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  185 

hard  to  maintain;  second,  because  the  time  necessary 
to  exhaust  a  heavy  air  pressure  and  the  fanning  effect 
on  the  fire  of  the  escaping  air  both  act  against  the  quick 
control  of  a  fire. 

Several  different  types  of  dry  valves  have  been  in- 
vented but  those  in  use  today  are  of  two  types,  the 
differential  and  the  mechanical.  In  the  differential  type 
there  is  a  double-seated  check  valve,  the  upper  or  air 
seat  being  much  larger  than  the  lower  or  water  seat. 
The  difference  in  area  between  these  two  seats  deter- 
mines the  differential  or  difference  in  pressure  necessary 
to  balance  the  valve.  Valves  of  this  type  are  generally 
designed  with  a  differential  of  about  7  to  1,  that  is  one 
pound  of  air  pressure  on  the  upper  side  will  just  hold 
the  valve  closed  against  7  pounds  water  pressure  on  the 
lower  side.  Examples:  Grinnell  and  Rockwood. 

In  the  mechanical  type  the  check  on  the  water  side 
is  held  closed  by  a  system  of  levers,  these  being  held  in 
place  by  the  action  of  air  pressure  in  the  pipes.  Here 
there  is  generally  no  fixed  ratio  of  air  and  water  pressure 
that  will  hold  the  valve  closed  but  the  valve  is  designed 
to  open  at  a  predetermined  air  pressure  which,  however, 
can  be  somewhat  varied  by  the  amount  of  pressure  ex- 
erted on  the  adjusting  screw.  Examples:  International, 
Manufacturers  and  Niagara. 

All  types  of  dry  valves  are  subject  to ."  water  column- 
ing  "  if  not  properly  installed  and  maintained.  In  other 
words  if  there  is  enough  water  in  the  pipes  above  the 
valve  to  produce  a  pressure  on  the  valve  greater  than 
the  pressure  at  which  it  will  trip,  then  the  valve  is 
"  columned  "  and  will  not  open  automatically.  If,  for 
instance,  in  a  differential  valve,  having  a  differential  of 
6  to  1  and  a  water  pressure  of  30  pounds  in  the  supply 
pipe,  enough  water  should  accumulate  above  the  valve 
to  make  a  column  12  feet  high,  the  pressure  of  this  water, 
namely  a  little  over  5  pounds  (0.43  pound  to  each  foot), 


186          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

would  be  more  than  one-sixth  of  the  water  pressure  and 
would  therefore  hold  the  valve  closed.  This  water  pres- 
sure, unlike  air  pressure,  is  not  reduced  when  a  sprinkler 
head  at  a  higher  level  opens.  This  feature  gives  little 
trouble  in  practice  however. 

Water  accumulates  above  a  valve  in  two  ways:  first, 
by  slowly  draining  from  the  small  end  pipes  which  will 
not  drain  quickly  when  the  main  draw-off  pipe  is  open 
owing  to  the  vacuum  action;  second,  by  the  condensa- 
tion of  water  from  the  air  which  is  pumped  into  the  pipes. 

Water  collecting  in  the  pipe  above  a  dry  valve  may  also 
cause  trouble  by  freezing  where  the  pipe  is  exposed.  It 
is  therefore  of  vital  importance  that  the  draw-off  pipe 
above  the  dry  valve  be  opened  occasionally  to  drain  off 
any  water  that  may  have  collected. 

It  is  essential  that  the  intermediate  space  between  the 
air  and  water  valves  in  a  differential  dry  valve  be  kept 
free  from  water.  Should  water  leaking  past  the  water 
valve  fill  this  space  under  a  pressure  greater  than  the 
air  pressure,  the  air  valve  would  be  opened  and  the  sys- 
tem flooded.  In  all  systems  having  a  closed  interme- 
diate space  this  feature  is  safeguarded  by  an  automatic 
drip.  This  drip  takes  care  of  any  small  leakage  but 
closes  automatically  under  the  pressure  resulting  from 
the  opening  of  the  valve. 

Operation.  The  general  operation  of  dry  systems  is 
as  follows.  The  system  is  set  up  by  closing  the  main 
gate  valve  and  draining  off  all  the  water  above  the  dry 
valve.  The  dry  valve  is  then  set  up  and  air  pressure  is 
pumped  into  the  pipes.  When  the  pressure  has  reached 
a  sufficient  amount  to  hold  the  dry  valve  closed,  the  gate 
valve  is  opened  and  the  water  pressure  rests  oaithe  lower 
side  of  the  dry  valve.  When  a  sprinkler  opens,  the  air 
pressure  in  the  pipes  escapes  until  the  tripping  point  is 
reached,  when  the  dry  valve  is  forced  open  by  the  water 
pressure  thus  allowing  the  water  to  flow  into  the  pipes. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  187 

Maintenance.  A  dry  system  is  much  more  difficult 
to  maintain  than  a  wet  system  because  the  air  in  the  pipes 
is  certain  to  leak  out  slowly,  thus  necessitating  more  or 
less  frequent  pumping.  Unless  the  system  is  carefully 
watched  and  cared  for  the  valve  is  liable  to  trip  and  flood 
the  pipes.  This  would  do  no  damage  in  warm  weather, 
but  in  freezing  weather  great  damage  would  probably 
result  from  frozen  pipes. 

The  air  pressure  maintained  should  vary  only  between 
small  limits,  for  too  high  a  pressure  will  retard  the  action 
of  the  system  and  too  low  a  pressure  may  allow  the  valve 
to  trip.  In  a  differential  valve,  with  a  ratio  of  7  to  1 
and  with  a  water  pressure  of  80  pounds,  the  tripping 
point  is  about  12  pounds  and  the  air  pressure  should 
range  from  20  to  30  pounds.  With  a  lower  water  pres- 
sure these  figures  could  be  somewhat  reduced  and  with 
higher  pressure  they  should  be  increased.  In  a  valve 
of  the  mechanical  type  the  air  pressure  should  be  be- 
tween 30  and  40  pounds  regardless  of  the  water  pres- 
sure. 

NATIONAL  BOARD   RULES  FOR  DRY   SYSTEMS 

The  rules  of  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters 
for  dry-pipe  valves  and  fittings  (Sec.  H)  state  that  dry- 
pipe  systems  should  be  used  only  where  wet-pipe  systems 
are  impractical,  and  while  not  as  desirable  as  wet-pipe 
systems  they  are  far  preferable  to  shutting  off  the  water 
supply  in  cold  weather. 

Air  pressure  should  be  maintained  on  the  system  the 
entire  year,  except  by  special  consent.  This  is  required 
because  the  draining  and  filling  of  the  system  every  year 
tends  to  cause  corrosion  in  the  pipes  and  frequently 
brings  in  dirt  and  sediment.  Then  again  the  Assured 
usually  take  better  care  of  a  system  that  is  maintained 
dry  the  entire  year.  When  water  is  admitted  in  the 
spring  there  is  a  strong  temptation  to  neglect  the  system 


188         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

during  the  summer  and  not  to  drain  it  and  pump  up  the 
air  until  cold  weather  has  already  caused  damage.  An- 
other undesirable  feature  is  that  when  the  water  is  in 
the  dry  system,  all  automatic  alarm  attachments  must 
be  shut  off  to  prevent  them  from  ringing  continuously. 
Therefore,  unless  an  alarm  valve  is  also  installed  in  the 
pipe,  the  alarm  service  must  be  sacrificed. 

On  the  other  hand  it  cannot  be  denied  that  a  system 
with  water  in  the  pipes  is  somewhat  quicker  and  more 
reliable  in  action  (except  for  the  alarm  feature),  for  at 
best  it  takes  an  appreciable  time  for  the  water  to  reach 
a  sprinkler  after  it  has  opened  and  dry  valves  are  not 
infallible  in  their  action.  It  is  therefore  occasionally 
wise  to  waive  this  rule.  This  is  especially  the  case  in 
new  systems  that  are  not  perfectly  tight,  for  by  letting 
water  remain  in  the  pipes  during  the  first  summer, 
small  leaks  are  frequently  closed  by  corrosion  and  the 
system  made  much  tighter.  It  is  also  questionable 
whether  it  is  not  wise  to  run  the  dry  systems  wet  during 
the  summer  in  the  southern  states  where  freezing  weather 
lasts  only  about  two  months  out  of  the  twelve.  The 
Factory  Mutual  Insurance  Companies  do  not  have  this 
restriction  in  their  rules.  In  fact  they  prefer  to  have 
water  let  into  the  system  each  spring  and  usually  re- 
quire a  full-sized  by-pass  around  the  dry  valve  for  this 
purpose.  The  gate  valve  in  this  by-pass  is  kept  open 
during  warm  weather. 

Drainage.  Sprinklers  on  a  dry  system  should  always 
be  installed  in  an  upright  position  so  that  they  will 
drain  properly.  Great  care  should  be  taken  to  arrange 
all  piping  to  drain  thoroughly  and  if  possible  to  drain 
to  one  drip  pipe  located  just  above  the  dry  ^fclve. 

The  horizontal  pipes  should  have  a  greater  pitch  than 
those  in  a  wet-pipe  system,  namely,  not  less  than  \  inch 
in  10  feet,  so  that  the  pipes  will  drain  more  rapidly  and 
thoroughly. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  189 

Supplies.  All  water  supplies  must  be  brought  to- 
gether below  the  dry  valve  so  that  they  will  feed  the 
sprinklers  through  the  valve. 

Size  of  Systems.  The  number  of  sprinklers  on  one 
dry  system  is  limited  to  400  sprinkler  heads,  preferably 
not  over  300.  The  larger  the  system  the  longer  it  will 
take  for  water  to  reach  a  head  after  it  has  operated, 
because  of  the  larger  amount  of  air  to  be  exhausted. 
In  a  system  installed  in  a  grain  elevator  some  years  ago 
there  were  about  1500  heads  on  one  6-inch  dry  valve 
and  an  actual  test  showed  that  it  would  take  the  water 
four  minutes  to  reach  a  head  150  feet  above  the  valve. 
Most  of  this  time  was  taken  in  reducing  the  air  pressure 
through  one  open  head  to  a  point  that  would  allow  the 
valve  to  trip.  In  a  system  installed  under  the  present 
rules  it  should  not  take  more  than  20  to  40  seconds  for 
the  water  to  reach  any  head  after  it  has  opened. 

Where  more  than  one  valve  is  needed  in  a  building  the 
system  should  be  divided  horizontally  instead  of  verti- 
cally. In  other  words  the  basement,  first  and  second 
floors  might  be  on  one  valve  and  the  third,  fourth 
and  fifth  floors  on  another  valve.  If  the  system  were 
divided  vertically  with  half  of  each  floor  on  one  valve 
and  the  other  half  on  the  other  valve,  a  fire  starting  near 
the  center  of  a  floor  might  open  heads  on  one  system 
and  then  spread  to. the  section  controlled  by  the  other 
valve.  This  would  necessitate  the  operation  of  the  other 
dry  valve,  with  the  resulting  delay,  at  a  time  when  any 
delay  might  be  quite  serious.  Where  the  systems  are 
divided  by  fire  walls  this  rule  would  not  apply. 

Air-filling  Pipe.  An  air  pump  is  necessary  to  pump 
air  into  the  system.  The  connection  from  the  air  pump 
to  the  system  should  be  made  at  the  dry  valve  and  there 
should  be  a  shut-off  and  check  valve  in  the  air  pipe 
close  to  the  system.  The  check  valve  prevents  the  air 
in  the  system  from  leaking  out  through  the  air  pump  or 


190 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


through  any  break  that  might  occur  in  the  air  pipe  be- 
hind the  check. 

Enclosure  of  Valve.  The  dry  valve  should  be  so 
located  that  it  will  not  freeze.  If  in  a  cold  building,  it 
can  either  be  in  a  pit  or  else  in  a  frostproof  closet.  In 
any  case  the  enclosure  should  be  of  sufficient  size  to  give 
2J  feet  on  all  sides  of  the  valve.  The  closet  can  be 


DRY  VALVE  CLOSET. 
A,  flanged  dummy. 

heated  with  steam,  gas,  electricity  or  a  lard  oil  lantern. 
A  sprinkler,  connected  to  the  main  riser  below  the  dry 
valve,  should  be  located  in  the  closet. 

Test  Pipes.     A  2-inch  test  pipe  is  now  required  on 
the  riser  just  below  the  dry  valve  so  that  the  water 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  191 

supply  can  be  thoroughly  tested.  This  is  in  addition  to 
the  drain  pipe  above  the  dry  valve.  This  is  of  great 
importance  for  without  it  no  adequate  test  can  be  made 
to  prove  that  water  in  proper  volume  is  in  the  pipes  up 
to  the  dry  valve. 

Air  Compressor.  An  air  compressor  or  air  pump 
should  be  provided  of  sufficient  capacity  to  increase  the 
air  pressure  in  the  system  at  least  one  pound  in  two  min- 
utes. With  such  a  pump,  it  should  not  take  over  60 
minutes  to  pump  up  a  system.  With  some  of  the  pumps 
formerly  furnished,  it  often  took  a  day  to  do  this  and 
during  the  interval  the  system  was  out  of  commission. 
Steam  or  electrically  driven  pumps  are  preferable  to 
power  pumps  as  they  are  more  reliable. 

The  air  pump  should  draw  its  supply  from  some  place 
where  the  air  is  dry  and  not  too  warm.  Unless  this  is 
done,  moisture-laden  air,  which  will  condense  and  may 
cause  trouble,  will  be  pumped  into  the  pipes.  It  is  often 
desirable  to  take  the  air  from  out  of  doors.  A  very 
good  plan  is  to  draw  the  air  through  a  reservoir  or  tank 
of  about  30  gallons  capacity  containing  10  to  15  pounds 
of  granulated  calcium  chloride  which  absorbs  the  mois- 
ture and  leaves  the  air  very  dry.  The  end  of  the  suc- 
tion pipe  should  be  screened  to  prevent  drawing  in  any 
foreign  material. 

Auxiliary  Dry  System.  Where  the  larger  part  of  a 
sprinkler  system  must  be  dry,  it  is  desirable  to  pipe  the 
entire  equipment  on  the  dry  system;  but  where  less 
than  25  per  cent  must  be  dry,  a  separate  dry  valve  should 
be  installed  to  control  this  section,  and  the  rest  of  the 
system  should  be  wet  pipe.  Show  windows  and  stair 
towers  come  under  this  heading.  There  is  always  a 
temptation  to  shut  off  the  sprinklers  in  such  places 
during  cold  weather,  but  this  is  undesirable  and  should 
only  be  done  in  extreme  cases  and  with  the  consent  of 
the  inspection  department  having  jurisdiction.  It  is 


192         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

particularly  important  to  keep  the  sprinklers  in  show 
windows  in  commission  at  all  times  as  there  is  consider- 
able hazard  there,  especially  at  Christmas  time,  and  a 
number  of  fires  have  been  caused  by  the  elaborate  illu- 
mination installed  in  these  windows. 

In  order  to  save  the  expense  of  a  dry  valve  it  is  some- 
times feasible  to  use  an  ordinary  check  valve,  pumping 
up  a  heavy  air  pressure  above  it.  This  should  only  be 
done  where  there  are  but  few  heads  involved  and  where 
the  water  supply  is  of  steady  and  not  of  too  heavy 
pressure.  The  air  pressure  must  considerably  exceed 
the  water  pressure  in  such  a  case  but  the  time  necessary 
for  the  water  to  reach  a  head  is  not  excessive  as  the 
volume  of  air  to  be  exhausted  is  small.  The  check  valve 
like  a  dry  valve  should  be  primed  with  water  to  make  it 
tight. 

Flanged  Dummy.  A  flanged  dummy,  or  section  of 
pipe  of  the  same  length  as  the  dry  valve,  is  required  with 
each  dry  system.  This  is  to  be  used  to  replace  the  dry 
valve  in  case  the  latter  has  to  be  sent  away  for  repairs. 
If  the  repairs  are  made  in  mild  weather  the  water  can 
then  be  kept  on  the  system  until  the  valve  has  been 
replaced. 

EARLY   SYSTEMS 

One  of  the  first  attempts  to  prevent  freezing  in  a 
sprinkler  system  was  in  1861  when  Osmund  Williams 
patented  a  non-freezing  chemical  solution  to  be  used  in 
sprinkler  pipes.  The  Harkness  system  also  used  a  simi- 
lar solution. 

In  1864  Wm.  Gilbert,  Edwin  Cooper  and  G.  R.  Webster 
made  a  fusible  cord  of  gutta  percha,  chloride  of  sulphur, 
sulphuret  of  antimony,  copper  bronze  and  naphtha.  This 
melted  at  from  90°  to  120°  F.  and  was  arranged  so  that 
when  it  fused  it  would  release  the  hammer  of  an  alarm 
and  also  open  the  water  valve  on  a  sprinkler  supply  pipe. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND   DRY  VALVES  193 

John  W.  Bishop  of  New  Haven  suggested  a  dry-pipe 
valve  in  1879  and  took  out  patents  in  1881.  This  con- 
sisted of  a  vertically  rising  valve  closing  the  water  port. 
A  stem  on  the  upper  side  of  the  valve  was  clamped  to 
an  elastic  diaphragm  of  a  much  larger  area  than  the 
water  valve.  Water  was  allowed  to  enter  the  system 
above  the  diaphragm  to  a  sufficient  height  to  hold  the 
valve  closed  by  pressing  on  the  upper  side  of  the  dia- 
phragm. There  was  a  by-pass  containing  a  cock  nor- 
mally closed,  extending  from  below  the  water  valve  to 
the  space  under  the  diaphragm. 

A  system  of  cords  containing  fusible  links  at  short 
intervals  was  strung  along  the  ceiling  near  the  sprinklers 
and  so  arranged  that  when  any  link  melted,  a  weighted 
lever  connected  to  the  cock  was  released.  This  opened 
the  cock  in  the  by-pass  and  allowed  water  pressure  to 
enter  the  space  under  the  diaphragm.  This  counter- 
acted the  pressure  above  the  diaphragm  and  allowed 
the  water  pressure. in  the  main  pipe  to  open  the  water 
valve. 

Another  early  system  was  the  Mackey,  installed  by 
J.  C.  Mackey  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  in  conjunction  with 
the  sprinkler  head  of  the  same  name.  In  this  system  a 
gate  valve  normally  closed  and  with  a  weighted  arm 
kept  the  water  out  of  the  system,  no  air  pressure  being 
used.  There  was  an  auxiliary  thermostat  system  in- 
stalled with  a  thermostat  near  each  sprinkler.  The 
weighted  arm  of  the  valve  was  held  by  an  electrically 
operated  tripping  device  connected  to  the  thermostat 
system. 

In  case  of  fire  a  sprinkler  opened  and  the  thermostat 
near  it  also  operated.  This  closed  an  electrical  circuit 
through  an  electro-magnet  and  tripped  the  weighted 
arm.  The  valve  was  thereby  opened  and  water  allowed 
to  enter  the  system. 

Mr.  Frederick  Grinnell  took  out  his  first  patent  on  a 


194         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

dry  valve  in  1879.  This  consisted  of  a  horizontal  check 
valve  seating  vertically  and  with  a  stem  running  in 
guides.  A  system  of  levers  was  used  to  hold  this  valve 
securely  closed.  A  small  diaphragm  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  casting  acted  on  a  rod  which  was  arranged  to  trip 
the  levers.  Air  pressure  pumped  into  the  pipes  above 
the  check  valve  held  this  diaphragm  down.  When  the 
air  pressure  was  released  the  diaphragm,  actuated  by  a 
weighted  lever  or  spring,  was  forced  up  and  this  motion 
tripped  the  levers  and  allowed  the  valve  to  open.  This 
valve  was  self-contained,  except  for  an  alarm  attach- 
ment, and  was  far  superior  in  principle  to  many  that 
succeeded  it. 

The  alarm  connection  consisted  of  a  lever  attached  to 
the  water  valve  and  extending  through  a  stuffing  box 
to  the  outside.  The  movement  of  the  check  valve  was 
used  to  trip  a  mechanical  gong. 

The  first  valve  to  be  generally  used  was  the  Grinnell 
differential  "  bellows  type  "  invented  in  1885.  The  dif- 
ferential valve  No.  12  which  succeeded  it  in  1890  was 
very  widely  used  —  perhaps  more  so  than  any  other 
valve,  and  the  field  experience  was  remarkably  success- 
ful. 

Amongst  the  other  early  dry  systems  was  the  Gray, 
first  patented  in  1884.  This  used  an  auxiliary  system 
of  pipes  for  the  air  pressure  and  was  quite  extensively 
installed.  Mr.  Gray  patented,  seven  other  dry-pipe 
valves  and  systems  between  1884  and  1902  but  most  of 
them  had  very  limited  use. 

The  Walworth  Manufacturing  Co.  installed  a  limited 
number  of  dry  systems  but  their  valves  were  cumber- 
some and  unreliable  and  they  preferred  to  install  wet- 
pipe  equipments. 

Many  of  the  older  valves  were  very  unreliable  and  but 
few  that  have  been  in  use  for  over  twenty  years  can 
be  considered  efficient  today.  The  valves  made  today 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  195 

are  very  reliable  when  properly  installed  and  carefully 
maintained.  They  all  require  careful  supervision  to  see 
that  water  is  kept  drained  from  the  pipes  and  sufficient 
air  pressure  maintained  at  all  times. 


REQUIREMENTS  FOR  DRY  VALVES 

The  following  are  the  more  important  general  re- 
quirements which  an  approved  dry  valve  should  fulfill 
although  a  valve  fulfilling  them  all  is  not  necessarily 
satisfactory. 

Should  be  strong  and  simple  in  design  and  construction  and 
capable  of  withstanding  300  pounds  pressure. 

Should  not  cause  excessive  loss  of  hydraulic  head. 

Should  not  depend  upon  delicate  adjustments  and  should  not  be 
subject  to  misadjustments  as  a  result  of  wear,  repair  or  reassem- 
bling. 

Should  have  all  working  parts  enclosed. 

Should  not  be  easily  affected  by  corrosion,  mud  or  pipe  scale. 

Should  have  an  opening  action  giving  direct  relief  to  water  valve. 

Should  not  have  an  opening  action  traversing  a  pressure-retain- 
ing joint  or  fit. 

Should  trip  between  6  and  14  pounds  air  pressure  under  service 
pressures  between  50  and  120  pounds. 

Should  not  trip  from  normal  leakage  at  air  or  water  seat;  or  if 
water  pressure  is  entirely  removed. 

Should  not  have  intermittent  action  after  opening. 

Design  should  be  such  that  valve  can  be  located  close  to  a  wall, 
floor  or  ceiling;  is  easy  to  repair  or  adjust;  will  not  spill  water 
when  it  operates;  cannot  be  set  unless  correctly  assembled;  is  not 
easily  gagged;  is  not  readily  water  columned;  air  pressure  seats  not 
likely  to  require  regrinding. 


ALPHABETICAL  LIST  OF  DRY  VALVES 
ASSOCIATED 

Manufactured    by  Associated  Automatic   Sprinkler   Co., 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 


196         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Mechanical  valve.  There  were  two  swing 
clappers  in  the  main  water  way,  the  lower  clapper  being 
held  down  by  a  series  of  levers  and  weights.  The  last 
lever  of  the  series  rested  on  the  under  side  of  an  auxiliary 
air  check,  located  inside  of  the  main  casting.  Most  of 
the  levers  were  located  in  an  offset  accessible  through  a 
swinging  door. 

Construction.  The  water  clapper  (8)  is  held  closed  by 
yoke  (14)  which  has  bearing  points  on  its  two  outer  ends 
upon  which  rest  the  toes  of  the  bifurcated  bell  crank  lever 
(15).  The  ball  joint  pin  (16)  passes  through  one  end 
of  the  bell  crank  lever  (15)  and  is  securely  riveted  in 
place.  This  ball  joint  pin  fits  into  a  recess  in  the  inner 
end  of  the  atmospheric  valve  (12)  and  is  held  in  place 
by  the  retaining  plate  (17)  which  is  securely  bolted 
to  the  inner  face  of  the  atmospheric  valve.  The  outer 
end  of  the  atmospheric  valve  stem  (12)  rests  in  a  recess 
in  the  adjusting  screw  (23),  which  adjusting  screw  is 
threaded  into  and  carried  by  hook  lever  (18);  hook 
lever  (18)  at  its  lower  end  bears  against  a  partition 
in  weight  lever  (19),  which  lever  carries  weights  (22). 
Weight  lever  (19)  has  a  partition  against  which  bears 
the  toe  of  the  tumbler  (20)  and  tumbler  (20)  is  fitted 
with  a  recess  into  which  fits  the  lower  end  of  strut 
(21)  while  the  upper  end  of  strut  (21)  fits  into  a  recess 
in  a  lug  on  auxiliary  air  clapper  (10).  The  yoke 
(14)  is  carried  on  the  same  pin  as  water  clapper  (8) 
while  the  bell  crank  lever  (15)  and  weight  lever  (19) 
are  carried  by  round  pins,  and  hook  lever  (18)  and 
tumbler  (20)  are  carried  by  knife-edge  pins  to  prevent 
binding. 

Operation.  The  opening  of  a  sprinkler  head  in  the 
system  releases  the  pressure  in  the  lines  until  it  falls 
below  twelve  pounds,  when  the  weights  (22)  overcome 
the  pressure  on  valve  (10)  and  release  hook  lever  (18) 
which  causes  atmospheric  valve  (12)  to  close  seat  (13), 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES 


197 


ASSOCIATED  DRY  VALVE    (Section). 


and  releases  lever  (15)  and  yoke  (14)  allowing  water 
pressure  to  open  water  clapper  (8)  and  main  air  clapper 
(6)  and  admit  water  to  the  sprinkler  lines.  The  water 
entering  the  intermediate  chamber  passes  through  alarm 
connection  to  alarm  devices  and  gives  immediate  noti- 
fication of  the  operation  of  the  sprinkler. 

Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  May, 
1915,  in  6-inch  size.  Withdrawn  1916,  manufacture 
discontinued. 

Rating:  Satisfactory. 


198         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


DIAGRAM  OF  CONNECTIONS  TO 

ASSOCIATED 
DRY  PIPE  VALVE 

8-MOOEL-A 

MANUFACTURED  BY 

ASSOCIATED  AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  C. 

PHIL«DELPM1».P«. 


BROWN 

Manufactured  by  the  Automatic  Fire  Alarm  &  Extin- 
guisher Co.,  New  York. 

Mechanical  valve.  Opinion  of  the  Device  and  Material 
Committee  of  the  National  Fire  Protection  Association, 
November,  1904. 

1.  Liable  to  be  inoperative  under  ordinary  service  conditions. 

2.  Has  opening  action  failing  to  give  direct  relief  to  water  valve. 

3.  Has  opening  action  traversing  a  pressure-retaining  joint  or  fit. 

4.  Working  parts  not  satisfactorily  enclosed. 

Present  rating:  Unreliable. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND   DRY  VALVES 


199 


CATARACT 

Automatic  Sprinkler  Equipment  Co.,  Chicago,  III. 

1905.  This  was  a  valve  of  simple  construction  and 
of  the  mechanical  type.  There  were  two  vertical  clap- 
pers seating  on  horizontal  valve 
seats  with  an  intermediate  space 
between.  The  lower  or  water 
clapper  was  held  closed  by  a  stem 
bearing  against  two  hinged  levers 
forming  a  toggle  joint.  The  up- 
per ends  of  these  levers  rested  in 
a  cup-shaped  depression  in  the 
base  of  the  upper  or  air  valve. 
The  leverage  was  such  as  to  cause 
the  valve  to  trip  at  very  low  air 
pressure :  namely,  2  pounds  air 
under  44  pounds  water,  and  5 
pounds  air  under  about  85  pounds 
water. 

Criticized  by  the  Underwriters' 
Laboratories  in  February,  1907, 
as  follows: 


CATARACT  DRY  VALVE. 
(Section.) 

A,  air  clapper. 
W,  water  clapper. 
S,  stem. 
L,  levers. 


1.  Low  trip  point. 

2.  Adjusting   mechanism   for   water 

valve. 

3.  Friction  loss. 

4.  Effects  of  corrosion. 

5.  Features  of  design  and  construc- 

tion. 


Third  sample,  October,  1907,  criticized  by  Under- 
writers' Laboratories  as  follows: 

Effects  of  compression  screw  on  trip  point  renders  valve  liable  to 
water  column  on  low  pressures  and  necessitates  excessive  air  pres- 
sures on  high-service  pressures. 


Rating:  Unreliable. 


200 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


CLAPP 

Made  by  Clapp  Automatic  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Chicago. 

1—1890.     Mechanical  type.     Angle  valve  with  water 

clapper  seating  horizontally.     Stem  on  upper  side   of 

water  valve  passed  through  top  of  casing,  a  tight  joint 


Fr&.l. 


CLAPP  DRY  VALVE  1. 

(Part  section.) 

D,  water  clapper,    d,  stem,    e,  diaphragm,    g,  m,  k,  levers. 
/3,  tripping  diaphragm. 

being  made  by  use  of  a  flexible  diaphragm.  Stem  held 
down  by  a  system  of  levers.  When  the  air  pressure 
dropped,  a  diaphragm  normally  held  up  by  the  air 
pressure  fell,  thus  allowing  a  weighted  lever  to  drop  and 
trip  the  levers.  There  was  no  air  check  and  the  air 
pressure  rested  on  the  upper  side  of  the  water  valve. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES 


201 


But  few  were  made. 

Opinion  of  the  Device  and  Material  Committee  of  the 
National  Fire  Protection  Association,  1904: 

1.  Liable  to  be  inoperative  under  ordinary  service  conditions. 

2.  Easily  affected  by  exterior  corrosion. 

3.  Operating  action  does  not  give  direct  relief  to  water  valve. 

Present  rating:  Unreliable. 

2-1891.     Piston  type.     Angle  valve  with  vertical  air 
check,  and  horizontal  water  valve  opening  against  water 


CLAPP  DRY  VALVE  A. 

(Section.) 

k,  water  clapper.  /,  piston,  m1,  air  clapper,  p,  by-pass  to  space 
behind  piston.  pl,  valve  in  by-pass,  q,  diaphragm,  r,  s,  levers 
tripping  valve  in  by-pass. 

pressure.  There  was  a  piston  of  slightly  larger  area  than 
the  water  valve  connected  to  the  valve  by  a  rod.  The 
sprinkler  supply  pipe  entered  the  device  between  the 
water  valve  and  the  piston.  A  by-pass  admitted  water 
pressure  to  the  further  side  of  the  piston  and  as  the  pres- 
sure was  balanced  on  each  side  of  the  piston,  the  water 
pressure  held  the  main  valve  closed.  When  the  air 


202         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

pressure  was  released,  a  diaphragm  connected  to  a 
weighted  lever  was  allowed  to  drop.  This  lever  opened 
a  drip  pipe  in  the  space  back  of  the  piston  thus  releasing 
the  pressure  there.  The  water  pressure  acting  with 
more  force  on  the  piston  than  on  the  valve  pushed  the 
piston  back  and  opened  the. valve.  Made  up  to  1893. 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  Report,  1903: 

Thirteen  features  criticized. 

Present  rating:  Unreliable. 

Note  :  A  slight  modification  of  this  valve  is  shown  in  Cut  A. 

CLAYTON 

Ernest  S.  Clayton,  Newark,  N.  J.  Made  by  Indepen- 
dent Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Newark,  N.  J. 

1906.  This  was  a  differential  valve  of  the  balanced 
type.  It  consisted  of  two  valve  discs  held  together  by 
a  rod,  the  upper  disc  being  somewhat  larger  than  the 
lower  one.  The  water  entered  an  intermediate  space 
.between  the  two  discs  and  held  them  up,  the  pressure 
being  greater  on  the  upper  disc.  There  was  a  small 
water  way  through  the  upper  disc  closed  by  a  loose 
stopper  held  in  place  by  a  diaphragm.  The  air  pressure 
in  the  system  ordinarily  held  the  stopper  in  the  opening. 
When  the  air  pressure  was  reduced  the  stopper  was  re- 
leased and  water  entered  the  chamber  above  the  valve. 
This  created  an  equal  pressure  on  the  upper  and  lower 
sides  of  the  upper  disc,  and  the  water  pressure  acting  on 
the  lower  disc  (then  unbalanced)  opened  the  valve. 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  Report,  May,  1907. 

Features  criticized: 

1.  General  principle  of  operation. 

2.  Necessity  of  delicate  adjustment. 

3.  Danger  of  water  columning  by  leaking  at  water  seat. 

4.  Delay  in  action. 

5.  Features  of  design  and  construction. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 
Present  rating:  Unreliable. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  203 

CROWDER 

Crowder  Bros.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

1-1907.  Mechanical  valve.  Large  casting  with  swing 
check  valve  for  air  seat  and  a  similar  check  for  water 
seat,  both  seating  horizontally.  The  water  check  held 
in  place  by  a  series  of  external  and  internal  levers  and 
weights  was  tripped  by  the  release  of  air  pressure  in  a 
small  air  pot. 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  Reports,  January,  1907, 
and  September,  1911. 

Various  criticisms. 

2-1913.     Modified  form.     Features  criticized: 

1.  Ease  of  gagging. 

2.  Improper  safeguard  against  leaving  intermediate  chamber 
open. 

3.  Failure  to  open. 

4.  Trip  or  operating  point. 

5.  Effects  of  corrosion. 

6.  Other  features  of  design  and  construction. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 
Rating:  Unreliable. 

DIXON 

J.  H.  Dixon,  Erie,  Pa. 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  Report,  1904,  on  undevel- 
oped device. 

Practically  all  features  criticized. 
Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

DODGE 

Dodge  Manufacturing  Co.,  Mishauwaka,  Ind. 

Mechanical  valve.  Water  clapper  was  held  in  place 
by  a  system  of  levers  and  an  inverted  auxiliary  air 
clapper.  When  the  air  pressure  was  released  the  air 


204 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


clapper  dropped,  thus  releasing  a  weighted  lever  con- 
nected with  the  water  clapper. 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  Report,  April,  1903.  Six 
features  criticized. 

March,  1904.     One  feature  criticized. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 
EVANS 
Merchant  &  Evans  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

A  or  Model  3-1915.  Mechanical  valve.  There  were 
two  swing  check  valves  in  the  main  water  way.  An 
auxiliary  air  valve  in  the  main  casting  near  the  upper 
check  held  in  place  a  series  of  levers  and  weights,  which 
in  turn  held  the  lower  clapper  closed  when  the  valve 
was  in  normal  condition. 


EVANS  DRY  VALVE. 
(Section.) 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  205 

INSTRUCTIONS  FOR  SETTING  DRY  THE   "EVANS" 
DRY  PIPE  VALVE 

1.  Loosen  lock  nut  (12)   (turn  to  left)  very  slightly 
(|  turn  only)  and  loosen  adjusting  nut  (11)  until  center 
line  "B"  of  intermediate  clapper  (19)  is  opposite  center 
line  "A"  of  intermediate  seat  (6). 

2.  Open  main  cover  (2)  and   carefully  clean  water 
and  air  seats  (4),  also  auxiliary  (5)  and  intermediate 
seat  (6),  being  especially  careful  not  to  bruise  or  damage 
the  seats  in  any  way.     Likewise  clean  the  companion 
clappers  of  these  seats  (7,  27,  30  and  19).     Be  sure  that 
no   grit  or  dirt  of  any  kind   remains  to   prevent   the 
clappers  from  seating  properly.     Place  clappers  (7,  27 
and  30)  on  their  respective  companion  seats.     Replace 
main  cover  (2)  and  bolt  securely. 

3.  By  using  primer  be  sure  there  is  at  least  12  inches 
of  water  above  the  air  clapper  (27),  and  then  pump  air 
pressure  of  40  Ibs.  into  the  system. 

4.  Open  each  drain  valve  on  system  and  allow  air 
pressure  to  escape,  blowing  out  any  water  remaining 
in  the  system. 

5.  When  the   system  is   entirely   drained   of  water, 
replace  40  Ibs.  of  air  pressure   which  is  sufficient  to 
safely  retain   any   available   water   pressure.     Caution. 
Air  pressure  should  not  exceed  40  Ibs.  or  drop  below 
30  Ibs. 

6.  Raise  ball  weight  cover  (3)  and  lift  ball  weight  (35) 
sufficiently  to  engage  lever  of   ball  weight   (36)  with 
trigger  (33)  of  auxiliary  clapper  (30). 

7.  Open  slowly  the  controlling  gate  valve  in  water 
supply  pipe,  and  with  a  12-inch  wrench  slowly  tighten 
(turn  to  right)   adjusting  nut   (11)   until   main  water 
seat  (4)  shows  no  leak  which  is  noticeable  through  ball 
drip. 

8.  Tighten  (turn  to  right)  lock  nut  (12).     Caution. 
Care   should   be   taken   not   to   put   more   tension   on 


206         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

adjusting  nut  (11)  than  is  necessary  to  prevent  water 
leaking  past  main  water  clapper  (7). 

The  dry  pipe  valve  is  now  set  complete  and  ready  for 
operation,  excepting  the  following  features  which  require 
special  attention. 

1.  Close  and  lock  ball  weight  cover  (3). 

2.  Most  Important.     Open  wide  the  controlling  gate 
valve  in  supply  pipe. 

INSPECTION   OF    "EVANS"   DRY  PIPE   SYSTEM  WHEN 
DRY  PIPE  VALVE  IS   SET 

1.  Open  J-inch  air  test  valve  and  see  that  system  is 
free  from  water  to  the  level  of  this  valve. 

2.  Open  water  test  cock,  making  sure  that  the  air 
clappers  are  primed  with  water. 

3.  Open  water  test  valve  below  water  seat  of  dry 
pipe  valve  to  insure  that  controlling  gate  is  wide  open 
and  water  supply  is  not  frozen. 

TEST   OF    "  EVANS"   DRY  PIPE   SYSTEM  WHEN  DRY 
PIPE  VALVE  IS   SET 

1.  Close  controlling  gate  valve  in  water  supply  pipe. 

2.  Open  drain  valve  and  allow  air  pressure  to  escape, 
the®  the  dry  pipe  valve  will  trip  and  operate  as  in 
case  of  fire,  but  will  not  allow  water  into  the  system. 

3.  Close  drain  valve,  reset  dry  valve  as  per  instruc- 
tions, and  open  main  controlling  valve. 

Field  experience  very  limited. 

Approved  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  September, 
1915.     Manufacture  discontinued  in  1916.    See  Globe  3. 
Rating:  Satisfactory. 

GLOBE   OR  GARRETT  4g 

C.   B.  Garrett,  Minneapolis,  Minn.     Assigned  to  Globe 

Automatic  Sprinkler  Co. 

A-igo6.  Mechanical  valve  with  two  clappers.  Upper 
or  air  clapper  seated  at  an  angle  of  about  45  degrees. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND   DRY   VALVES  207 


GLOBE  DRY  VALVE  "B.' 
Interior  View.    Tripped. 


208 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 


Lower  or  water  seat  was  horizontal.  Lower  clapper 
held  in  place  by  a  long  hinged  lever  bearing  against 
upper  clapper. 

Several  laboratory  reports  between  July,   1910,  and 
February,  1913. 


© — • 


GLOBS  DRY  VALVE  "B." 
(Section.) 

6-1913.  This  consists  of  a  casting  containi^p  an  air 
and  a  water  clapper.  There  is  also  an  auxiliary  air 
check  located  in  an  offset.  The  main  water  clapper  is 
held  closed  by  a  system  of  levers  connected  to  the  aux- 
iliary air  check. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  209 

Criticized  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  in  Aug- 
ust, 1913,  as  follows: 

1.  Strength  of  parts. 

2.  Erratic  action  of  parts. 

3.  Ease  of  gagging. 

4.  Liability  of  improper  adjustment  of  parts  and  other  features 
of  design  and  construction. 

Description.  29,  water  clapper.  33,  air  clapper.  7, 
air  pot  clapper.  28,  compression  lever.  26,  23,  16,  15, 
14,  13,  12,  10,  levers  holding  air  clapper  in  place. 

Rating:  Not  standard. 

0-1914  Garret  Model.  Mechanical  valve  similar  to 
type  B  except  as  follows: 

1.  Hand-hole  cover  plate  hinged  at  the  bottom  and 
the  cam  rod  eliminated. 

2.  The  method  of  fastening  the  atmospheric  valve 
hinge  pin  changed. 

3.  The  tripping  lever  guard  cast  with  the  air  pot. 

4.  The  weight  lever  changed  in  shape. 

5.  The  weight  bail  and  rods  eliminated  and  a  bronze 
weight  bail  substituted. 

6.  The  drip  spout  eliminated  and  a  cast  iron  apron 
bolted  to  the  valve  body  to  receive  the  weight  as  it 
falls.  ' 

7.  The  air  pot  altered  in  shape. 

8.  The  cast  iron  weights  made  in  one  piece. 

9.  The  adjusting  screw  provided  with  9J  instead  of 
8J  threads  to  the  inch. 

10.  The  setting  lever  slightly  altered  in  shape  and 
the  hole  for  adjusting  screw  tapped  to  receive  a  screw 
having  9J  threads  to  the  inch. 

Approved   by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  April, 
1915.     Manufacture  discontinued  in  1916. 
Rating:  Satisfactory. 


210 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Globe  Model  3-1916.  Globe  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co., 
Philadelphia.  This  is  the  same  devise  as  Evans  A,  Model 
3,  but  is  now  made  by  the  Globe  Automatic  Sprink- 


GLOBE  DRY  VALVE  MODEL  5. 

ler  Company.  Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories, 1916,  and  by  the  Associated  Factory  Mutuals. 

Withdrawn  from  approval  by  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories, March,  1917. 

Manufacture  discontinued.     After  listing,  some  ques- 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  211 

tion  developed  regarding  strength  of  operating  mecha- 
nism and  reliability  in  operation. 

Rating:  Generally  satisfactory. 

Model  4-1916.  Approved  by  Associated  Factory 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Companies  and  installed  in  their 
risks  pending  the  approval  of  Model  5. 

Model  5-1917.  Same  as  Model  3,  except  for  the  fol- 
lowing minor  changes: 

The  tumbler  hinge  pin  (17)  has  been  increased  in 
diameter  from  J  to  f  of  an  inch. 

The  tumbler  (15)  changed  to  accommodate  the 
large  hinge  pin  and  more  metal  added  to  this  member, 
at  the  point  where  it  bears  against  the  tumbler  lever 
(16). 

The  water  valve  support  (8),  the  adjusting  nut 
(11),  the  atmospheric  valve  link  (21),  and  the  ball 
weight  link  (38)  changed  from  phosphor  bronze  to 
magnesium  bronze. 

Two  toes  or  bearing  surfaces  added  to  front  end  of 
atmospheric  valve  (21),  and  bearing  surfaces  added  to 
ball  weight  link  (38). 

The  off-center  distance  of  toe  of  water  valve  support 
increased. 

Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  in  4-inch 
and  6-inch  sizes,  March,  1917. 

Rating:  Standard. 
GRAY 

Manufactured  by  Gray  Sprinkler  Co.,  New  York.  In- 
stalled by  Insurers  Automatic  Fire  Extinguisher  Co., 
New  York. 

1-1884.  Mr.  Frank  Gray  of  New  York  patented  a 
dry-pipe  system  in  1884  in  which  an  auxiliary  system 
of  small  piping  was  used  for  the  air  pipes.  This  piping 
was  run  parallel  and  close  to  the  sprinkler  piping  and 
small  fusible  plugs  were  inserted  in  this  piping  near  each 
sprinkler.  Air  was  pumped  into  the  smaller  system  of 


212 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTIOiM 


pipes  and  this  pressure  acted  upon  a  differential  valve 
in  the  main  risen  The  pipe  running  to  the  sprinklers 
connected  to  the  intermediate  space  of  the  differential 
valve,  the  valve  being  in  the  form  of  two  pistons  with  a 
travel  of  several  inches. 


GRAY  DRY  SYSTEM  2. 

D,  sprinkler,     d,  fusible  plug  in  small  piping.     B,  angle  valve. 
M,  m,  levers  holding  valve  closed,    t,  diaphragm. 


2-1886.  In  1886  and  1887  the  releasing  uevice  was 
modified  and  instead  of  a  differential  valve,  an  angle 
valve  held  closed  by  a  series  of  levers  attached  to  a  dia- 
phragm was  used. 

Both  systems  used  to  a  considerable  extent.  Now 
practically  obsolete. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  213 

Device  and  Material  Committee  opinion,  1904: 

1.  Opening  action  does  not  give  direct  relief  to  water  valve. 

2.  Opening  action  traversing  a  pressure  retaining  joint. 

3.  Working  parts  not  satisfactorily  enclosed. 

Present  rating:  Unreliable. 

GRINNELL 

Manufactured  by  Providence  Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Co. 

i-Bellows,  1885.  This  was  a  differential  valve. 
Water  and  air  clappers  held  together  by  a  rod  which  also 
acted  as  a  guide.  Water  clapper  was  metal  seating  on  a 
horizontal  metal  seat.  Air  clapper  attached  to  the  cast- 
ing by  rubber  bellows  giving  a  total  area  about  eight 


GRINNELL  "BELLOWS"  DRY  VALVE. 

(Section.) 
See  description,  page  202. 

times  that  of  the  water  valve.     The  rubber  bellows  was 
subject  to  deterioration  and  sediment  was  apt  to  collect 
in  fold  of  same.     Used  successfully  for  several  years. 
Now  practically  obsolete. 
Present  rating:  Unreliable. 


214         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Description.  The  water  clapper  F  is  attached  to  a 
spindle  carrying  the  air  clapper  L  seating  on  G,  both 
seats  being  metal  to  metal.  There  is  a  large  rubber 
diaphragm  clamped  to  the  edge  of  the  air  valve  and 
also  to  the  outer  casting.  This  is  folded  like  a  bellows 
to  allow  considerable  movement  of  the  air  clapper.  The 
spindle  runs  in  four  guides  and  can  be  raised  until  a 
shoulder  comes  in  contact  with  a  stop,  shown  near  the 
top  of  the  device.  There  is  a  single  step  latch  at  J  to 
hold  the  valve  up  when  it  opens.  M  is  an  alarm  attach- 
ment operating  at  K.  There  is  an  automatic  drain  for 
the  intermediate  space,  an  air  test  pipe  at  E,  and  a  cup 
for  priming  the  space  above  the  valve  with  water. 

The  differential  is  due  to  the  difference  in  area  between 
the  water  clapper  F  and  the  air  clapper  L,  including  the 
horizontally  projected  area  of  the  rubber  diaphragm. 

When  the  valve  opens,  the  water  and  the  air  clappers 
move  upwards  until  the  spindle  reaches  the  stop,  the 
rubber  diaphragm  being  distorted  to  allow  this  motion. 
The  water  enters  the  system  by  flowing  around  the 
water  clapper  F  and  the  air  seat  G. 

Note:  Eleven  minor  changes  were  made  in  this  valve  between 
1885  and  1890  but  they  were  mostly  of  minor  importance.  These 
constitute  the  eleven  types  of  valve  made  prior  to  the  so-called 
No.  12. 

GRINNELL 

General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Providence,  R.  I. 

12-1890.  Differential  valve.  Air  and  water  valve  in 
one  flower  pot  shaped  casting.  Water  seat  metal  to 
metal.  Air  seat  consisted  of  flexible  rubber  rii^g  clamped 
to  edge  of  valve.  Latch  actuated  by  spring  held  up  the 
valve  when  it  once  opened  and  prevented  columning. 
Electric  alarm  connection  consisted  of  metal  diaphragm 
attached  to  plug  which  was  screwed  to  casing  at  inter- 
mediate space.  This  style  of  electrical  circuit  closer 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND   DRY  VALVES 


215 


was  subject  to  failure  after  a  few  years  service  owing  to 
corrosion. 

Valve  criticized  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories  as  fol- 
lows: 

1.  Latch  D  subject  to  failure. 

2.  Chance  of  trouble  from  scale,  etc.,  on  valve  seats. 

3.  Automatic  drain  defective. 

4.  Hand  hole  plugs  in  intermediate  space  liable  to  be  left  out  or 
to  blow  out. 

Field  experience  generally  very  satisfactory. 
Rating:  Not  standard.     Generally  satisfactory. 


GBINNELL  DRY  VALVE  No.  12. 
(Section.) 

Description.  The  valve  C  had  a  water  seat  at  A  and 
an  air  seat  at  B.  The  water  seat  was  metal  to  metal 
but  a  rubber  ring  was  clamped  to  the  outside  edge  of 


216          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

the  air  seat  to  give  flexibility.  The  latch  D  operated 
by  a  heavy  spring. held  the  valve  up  when  it  opened  and 
prevented  water  column.  There  was  a  step  on  this 
latch  part  way  up  and  the  valve  could  be  latched  by 
this  step  or  by  the  top  of  the  latch  depending  upon  how 
much  it  opened.  A  hand-hole  plug  J  could  be  removed 
for  cleaning  the  water  seat  or  examining  the  intermediate 
space.  The  differential  was  about  7  to  1.  There  was 
an  automatic  drain  in  the  intermediate  chamber  to  take 
care  of  any  water  that  might  leak  past  the  water  valve. 

To  set  the  valve  the  water  was  shut  off  and  hand-hole 
plug  was  removed.  After  wiping  the  water  seat  clean 
the  plug  E  was  removed,  the  latch  D  was  pulled  out  and 
the  valve  allowed  to  drop  onto  its  seats. .  Priming  water 
was  then  poured  in  above  the  air  seat.  The  air  pressure 
was  then  pumped  in  and  the  water  valve  opened. 

Tests.     Valve  should  be  tested  as  follows: 

1.  For  water  column  by  opening  test  pipe  above  the  valve  to 
see  if  any  water  has  accumulated.     If  so  it  should  be  drained  off. 

2.  For  strength  of  spring  in  latch  D.     This  is  done  by  unscrewing 
the  small  plug  covering  the  latch  and  pulling  on  the  ring  attached 
to  the  latch  to  see  that  it  is  in  working  order.     Some  trouble  has 
occurred  from  defective  latches. 

3.  Free  way.     Open  hand-hole  plug  /  to  see  that  there  is  no 
obstruction  in  the  intermediate  space  which  would  prevent  the 
valve  from  opening. 

Note:  In  1897  the  new  circuit  closer  consisting  of  a  diaphragm 
operating  a  knife  switch  was  used. 


GRINNELL   STRAIGHTWAY 

General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Providence,  R. 

A-IQO7.  Differential  type.  Lower  part  of  valve  is 
in  the  form  of  a  gate  valve  and  is  attached  to  a  piston 
working  in  a  horizontal  cylinder.  When  the  valve  opens 
this  part  is  pushed  to  one  side  by  the  water  pressure, 


DRY  SYSTEMS   AND   DRY   VALVES 


217 


leaving  a  free  way.     Cylinder  of  bronze, 
of  body  of  valve  lined  with  Babbitt  metal. 
Rating:  Approved. 


Upper  part 


GBINNELL  DRY  VALVE. 

Straightway  Type. 
General  view  showing  fittings. 

B-IQIO.     Same  as  type  A  except  that  cylinder  and 
valve  body  are  of  iron,  copper  plated  on  the  inside. 
Rating:  Standard. 


218         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Description.  The  valve  J,  J,  F,  F,  has  a  water  seat 
at  F  and  an  air  seat  at  G.  The  upper  part  of  the  valve 
is  attached  to  a  flexible  diaphragm  B  clamped  between 
two  parts  of  the  valve  body.  A  piston  D  is  attached  to 
the  movable  part  of  the  valve  by  a  rod.  This  piston 
fits  loosely  in  a  cylinder  made  of  iron,  copper  plated  and 


GRINNELL  DRY  VALVE. 

Straightway  Type. 

(Section.) 


tinned.  There  is  a  vent  E  at  the  end.  There  is  a  drain 
pipe  P  connecting  with  the  intermediate  space  and  hav- 
ing an  automatic  ball  drip  on  the  end.  When  the  air 
pressure  on  the  diaphragm  and  air  valve  is  sufficiently 
reduced,  the  water  pressure  will  force  open  the  valve  a 
small  amount.  The  water  entering  the  intermediate 
space  will  fill  it  and  then  force  the  piston  D  to  the 
further  end  of  the  cylinder  where  it  closes  the  vent  E. 
This  carries  with  it  the  valve  disc,  leaving  a  free  water 
way  through  the  system. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES 


219 


Tests. 

1.  Open  draw-off  pipe  to  test  for  water  column. 

2.  Open  hand-hole  plate  to  intermediate  space  occa- 
sionally to  see  that  there  are  no  obstructions  and  that 
water  valve  is  tight. 

GRINNELL 

General  Fire  Extinguisher  Company,  Providence,  R.  7. 

C-igi6.  This  is  a  differential  valve  of  the  swinging 
clapper  type.  The  air  and  water  valve  both  swing  on 
the  same  pivot  but  are  set  at  an  angle  with  each  other, 


GRINNELL  DRY  VALVE  MODEL  C. 
(Section.) 

A,  main  casting.  B,  hand-hole  plate.  C,  arm  carrying  clappers. 
D,  air  clapper  casting.  E,  water  clapper.  F,  clapper  arm  pin. 
G,  rubber  ring  on  air  clapper.  H,  water  valve  seat  ring.  I, 
automatic  drip  valve.  J,  latcb  weight.  K,  latch. 


220         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

thus  making  a  smaller  and  more  compact  valve.  There 
is  a  hemispherical  seat  that  transmits  pressure  from  air 
valve  to  water  valve  between  the  center  of  rotation  and 
the  line  of  action  of  the  air  force.  This  results  in  a 
slight  movement  of  the  air  valve  about  the  hemi- 
spherical seat,  which  is  arrested  by  the  clapper  arms 
coming  in  contact  with  the  pin  which  is  the  axis  of 
rotation. 

The  differential  is  about  6  to  1.  The  air  valve  has  a 
rubber  ring  seating  on  a  babbitt  metal  seat  ring.  The 
water  valve  is  bronze  to  bronze.  The  latch  is  in  the 
form  of  a  weight  which  normally  rests  on  a  "nose"  or 
projection  between  the  two  valve  discs.  The  automatic 
valve  which  drains  the  intermediate  space  is  attached 
to  the  latch  weight  and  is  held  off  its  seat  when  the 
dry  valve  is  set.  When  the  valve  operates  the  weight 
drops  and  the  drip  valve  is  thus  closed. 

The  electric  and  rotary  gongs  are  piped  to  the  inter- 
mediate space  as  in  the  older  types. 

Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  and  Fac- 
tory Mutuals  in  1916. 

Rating:  Standard. 

HIBBARD 

1-1894.  Made  by  American  Fire  Extinguisher  Co., 
Chicago. 

Differential  type.  The  air  check  seated  on  a  flexible 
spun  brass  seat  and  held  a  small  water  valve  on  its  seat. 
When  the  air  pressure  was  released,  the  water  flowing 
through  the  small  valve  relieved  the  presume  on  the 
upper  side  of  a  double-seated  water  valve.  This  latter 
valve  was  then  raised  by  the  water  pressure  in  the 
system  opening  the  main  water  way. 

Only  about  100  made.  Manufacture  discontinued  in 
1900. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  221 

Opinion  of  Device  and  Material  Committee,  1904: 

1.  Susceptible  to  internal  corrosion. 

2.  Dependent  upon  delicate  adjustment. 

3.  Liable  to  permit  excessive  air  leakage. 

4.  Cannot  be  set  without  risk  of  water  damage 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


PLAN  THROUGH 


HIBBARD  DRY  VALVE  1. 

(Section.) 

A,  B,  C,  water  valve.    M,  small  water  valve  held  in  place  by  air 
valve  E.    N,  draw  off  pipe.    S,  priming  cup. 

2-1898.     Made  by    National  Fire   Extinguisher  Co., 
Kansas  City,  Mo. 

Differential  counterweighted  valve. 


222         AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Opinion  of  Device  and  Material  Committee,  1904: 

1.  Difficult  to  set  without  producing  water  column. 

2.  Subject  to  disablement  from  back  slap. 

3.  Adjustment  easily  destroyed  by  minor  repairs. 

Manufacture  discontinued  in  1901 .   Very  few  in  service. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

3-1898.  Made  by  Mailers,  Allen,  Fraser  &  Co., 
Chicago,  III. 

"Pile  driver"  type.  This  consisted  of  two  swing 
checks  seating  horizontally  in  the  main  water  way  with 
an  intermediate  space  between.  The  lower  or  water 
check  was  held  closed  by  a  lever  extending  through  a 
hole  in  the  casing  to  the  outside  and  pivoted  to  a  ver- 
tical rod.  There  was  a  large  weight  enclosed  in  a  cylin- 
drical casing  and  sliding  on  this  rod.  When  the  valve 
was  set,  this  weight  was  held  up  by  a  lever  connected 
to  a  small  auxiliary  air  valve.  When  the  air  pressure 
was  released  the  weight  fell  and  striking  the  end  of  the 
water  valve  lever  opened  this  valve. 

Over  100  made.     Manufacture  discontinued  in  1900. 

Opinion  of  Device  and  Material  Committee,  1904: 

1.  Liable  to  be  inoperative  under  service  conditions. 

2.  Opening  action  fails  to  give  direct  relief  to  water  valve. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 

4-1909.     Geo.  E.  Hibbard,  Chicago. 

Differential  type.  Plans  submitted  in  December, 
1909,  and  criticized  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories.  Re- 
vised plans  submitted,  1911.  No  finished  valve  sub- 
mitted. Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

fflGGINS 

Kellogg-Mackay-Cameron  Co.,  Chicago. 
Opinion  of  Device  and  Material  Committee,  1904: 

1.  Liable  to  be  inoperative  under  service  conditions. 

2.  Opening  action  not  positive  under  high-service  pressure. 

3.  Opening  action  fails  to  give  direct  relief  to  water  valve- 

4.  Opening  action  traverses  a  pressure  retaining  joint. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  223 

But  few  made.     Manufacture  discontinued  in  1901. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 
IDEAL 
Ideal  Automatic  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Philadelphia. 

"Ever  ready"  dry-pipe  valve.     Plans  examined  and 
criticized  January,  1912,  and  March,  1913,  by  Under- 
writers' Laboratories.     No  working  device  submitted  to 
date. 
IDEAL 
Patented  by  John  H.  Derby,  Boston,  Mass. 

1-1899.  Mechanical  valve.  Water  clapper  held  closed 
by  toggle-joint  levers  bearing  against  a  spindle  and 
attached  to  air  clapper.  Air  clapper  of  larger  area  than 
water  clapper  and  of  inverted  type. 

2-1903.  Differential  valve.  Bronze  double-seated 
valve  placed  in  an  inverted  position,  the  lower  or  larger 
area  being  held  up  by  air  pressure.  A  swing  check 
valve  kept  the  air  out  of  the  intermediate  space. 

Report  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  January,  1906. 
Features  criticized: 

1.  High  trip  point. 

2.  Arrangement  for  outside  connections. 

3.  Difficulty  of  repairs. 

4.  Weakness  of  parts. 

5.  Features  of  design  and  construction. 

3-1906.  Mechanical  valve  with  two  horizontally  seat- 
ing swing  checks.  Upper  or  air  check  held  the  lower 
check  closed  by  means  of  a  lever  and  a  strut. 

None  of  the  types  were  ever  put  on  the  market. 

INDEPENDENT 

Independent  Fire  Sprinkler  Co.,  Chicago,  III. 

1902.  Mechanical  valve.  Vertical  check  valve  held 
in  place  by  wedge.  A  small  auxiliary  air  valve  held  a 
train  of  levers  outside  the  valve  casing  in  position. 
These  levers  were  released  when  the  air  pressure  dropped, 


224         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

thus  releasing  a  heavy  weight.  This  gave  a  threaded 
spindle  a  quarter  turn,  thus  pulling  out  the  wedge  so 
that  the  water  valve  could  open. 

Underwriters'    Laboratories    Report,    March,     1902. 
Features  criticized: 

1.  Effects  of  water  column. 

2.  Opening  movement. 

3.  External  operating  parts. 

4.  Internal  sliding  parts  and  complication  of  parts. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

INTERNATIONAL 

International  Sprinkler  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
1900.     Differential. 

Patented  by  J.  C.  Scott,  August,  1900.     This  was  a 

swing  check  valve  seating  at 
an  angle  of  about  45  degrees. 
There  was  a  large  groove  or 
intermediate  space  in  the 
valve  seat  giving  a  differen- 
tial of  4  to  1.  AnO.  S.  &Y. 
gate  valve  was  so  placed  that 
the  stem  would  hold  the 

T  check  closed  when  screwed 

INTERNATIONAL  DIFFERENTIAL  ,     . 

DRY  VALVE.  down«      Tms     was    used    m 

(Section.)  setting  the  valve.     This  was 

omitted   in   later   type.      A 

latch  operated  by  an  external  spring  was  used  to  hold 
the  valve  open  when  it  tripped. 

Opinion  of  Device  and  Material  Committee,  1904: 

1.  Subject  to  injury  from  back-slap. 

2.  Has  opening  action  involving  traverse  of  a  pressure  retaining 
joint. 

3.  Unduly  subject  to  water  hammer. 

But  few  made.     Manufacture  discontinued  in  1901. 
Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  225 

Model  No.  1-190 1.  Mechanical  valve.  There  were 
but  32  of  this  model  made,  this  number  being  replaced 
almost  immediately  by  Model  No.  2.  The  valve  had 
the  general  arrangement  of  parts  as  seen  in  the  present 
valve,  with  the  following  exceptions: 

1.  The  hand-hole  cover  giving  access  to  air  check  was 
elliptical  in  form,  and  located  at  the  back  of  valve  imme- 
diately over  water  inlet. 

2.  The  hand  hole  giving  access  to  intermediate  space 
was  covered  by  a  triangular  plate  fastened  by  stud  bolts 
to  the  body,  but  not  attached  by  hinge  or  other  shackle. 

3.  The  tripping  mechanism  was  in  the  main  as  in 
the  present  valve,  except  that  lever  No.  8  (hook)  was 
not  double  as  in  the  present  valve,  but  made  of  a  single 
member  and  was  located  sufficiently  far  to  one  side  of 
!ever  No.  7  so  as  not  to  interfere,  the  stress  screw  oper- 
ating through  a  lug  on  one  side  of  "hook." 

4.  Covers  or  doors  protecting  external  working  parts 
were  formed  of  sheet  iron. 

Rating:  Doubtful. 

Model  No.  2-1902.     (Some  patterns  marked  Evans  Model 

No.  2.) 

Mechanical  valve.  This  valve  was  provided  with  the 
present  type  of  "hook,"  composed  of  two  members, 
with  a  slot  between,  with  the  compression  screw  operat- 
ing through  a  web  connecting  the  two  members,  while 
the  external  parts  were  protected  by  cast-iron  doors,  as 
in  the  present  type. 

Tested  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  1902.  With- 
drawn from  list,  June,  1907.  Criticisms:  —  Use  of  hand- 
book plate  which  may  be  left  off  thus  leaving  equip- 
ment crippled,  weakness  of  parts,  undue  influence  of 
compression  screw  on  trip  point. 

Field  experience  generally  satisfactory. 

Rating:   Not  standard.    Generally  satisfactory. 


226         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Model  No.  3.  This  model  was  never  manufactured, 
always  remaining  in  the  experimental  stage.  Its  one 
distinguishing  feature  consisted  of  a  cored  channel,  ex- 
tending between  the  interior  of  the  air  check  chamber 
to  the  wall  of  the  main  casting  immediately  under  the 
finished  surface  of  the  inspection  plate  and  gasket,  the 
object  being  to  prevent  setting  of  valve  without  properly 
attaching  the  inspection  plate. 

Model  No.  4-1908.  Vertically  seating  water  valve 
held  in  place  by  a  system  of  levers  and  weights,  the  last 
lever  bearing  upon  a  depression  in  the  lower  side  of  air 
clapper.  Air  valve  a  swing  check  seating  horizontally. 
When  the  air  pressure  is  released  the  leverage  forces  the 
air  clapper  up,  thus  tripping  the  system  of  levers  and 
allowing  the  pressure  in  the  supply  pipe  to  open  the 
water  check.  Differs  from  previous  model  in  that  the  hand 
hole  to  the  air  check  chamber  and  the  one  to  the  inter- 
mediate chamber  are  covered  with  the  one  plate,  attached 
to  the  body  by  stud  bolts  and  loosely  hinged  to  same. 
A  section  of  the  air  check  chamber  was  enlarged  to  permit 
the  air  clapper  to  swing  completely  out  of  water  way. 

Approved  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories  and  Factory 
Mutual  Insurance  Cos. 

Rating:  Standard. 

Description.  The  water  supply  enters  horizontally  and 
is  held  back  by  a  vertically  seating  valve  (12).  A  swing 
check  seating  horizontally  holds  the  air  pressure  back 
from  the  intermediate  space.  This  is  primed  with  water 
to  the  level  of  the  draw-off  pipe.  The  water  valve  is 
held  in  place  by  the  horizontal  lever  (7)  adjusted  by  the 
set  screw.  The  horizontal  lever  is  connected  with  the 
curved  lever  (8)  and  this  holds  up  a  pivoted  weight  (6). 
This  weight  is  held  up  by  a  vertical  lever  (10)  bearing 
directly  on  the  under  side  of  the  air  clapper  (13)  and  at 
the  lower  end  on  a  short  lever  (9).  Both  clappers  are 
metal  to  metal. 


DRY  SYSTEMS   AND   DRY   VALVES 


227 


"INTERNATIONAL 
DRY-PIPE  VALVE 


INTERNATIONAL  DRY-PIPE  VALVE  4. 

(Section.) 


228         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


•INTERNATIONAL"  DRY-PIPE  VALVE 
(Doors  open  showing  valve  set  up.) 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  229 

When  the  air  pressure  is  released  the  vertical  lever  (10) 
is  pushed  up,  thus  releasing  the  weight  and  the  whole 
train  of  levers  that  holds  the  water  valve  in  place. 
When  the  water  valve  opens  it  swings  through  an  angle 
of  45  degrees,  seating  tightly  on  the  opening  through 
which  the  levers  pass. 

The  alarm  attachments  are  similar  to  those  used  in 
the  International  alarm  valve  and  connect  with  the 
intermediate  space. 

Tests  and  Examinations.  Valve  should  be  tested  for 
water  column  by  opening  the  test  valve  above  the  air 
check. 

The  casing  around  the  levers  can  be  opened  to  see  that 
the  parts  are  properly  set  up  and  not  obstructed. 

KANE 

John  Kane,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

1889.  A  globe  valve  with  a  sliding  spindle  controlled 
by  a  pivoted  lever  having  a  fixed  weight  at  one  end  and 
a  heavier  weight  resting  on  the  opposite  end  to  hold  the 
valve  normally  closed.  A  lighter  weighted  and  pivoted 
lever  actuated  by  a  diaphragm,  subjected  to  tjie  system 
pressure,  was  attached  to  a  releasing  mechanism  pivoted 
to  the  end  of  the  main  lever  in  such  a  way  that  when 
the  pressure  was  reduced  the  weighted  end  of  the  aux- 
iliary lever  dropped,  raising  the  opposite  end  and  dis- 
lodging the  heavy  weight  -from  the  end  of  the  main 
lever.  Not  used  to  any  extent. 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  Report,  1904.  Twelve 
features  criticized. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

KERSTETER 

Made  by  C.  W.  Kersteter. 

1-1895.  Differential.  Horizontal  valve.  This  con- 
sisted of  a  differential  valve  with  air  and  water  seat  in 


230         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


one  plane.  This  was  located  in  a  casting  above  the 
main  water  way.  -  The  intermediate  space  was  in  the 
form  of  a  groove.  A  spindle  extended  from  this  valve 
to  a  globe  valve  located  in  the  main  water  way.  An 
air  pipe  extended  from  the  system  above  the  dry  valve 
to  the  space  over  the  differential  valve.  When  air 
pressure  was  released  the  differential  valve  was  forced 
up  carrying  with  it  the  globe  valve  and  opening  the 
water  way. 

Device  and  Material  Committee  opinion,  1904: 

1.  Not  substantial  in  construction. 

2.  Not  designed  to  withstand  heavy  pressure. 

3.  Subject  to  intermittent  action  after  opening. 

4.  Invites  process  of  setting  which  may  leave  it  water  columned 
or  gagged. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 


KERSTETER  DRY  VALVE  2. 
(Section.) 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  231 

KERSTETER 

Made  by  National  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Kansas  City. 

2-1901.  Mechanical  Valve.  Vertical  air  check  and 
swing  water  check  valve  in  main  water  way.  Water 
valve  closed  by  levers,  operated  by  an  auxiliary  air 
valve.  When  the  air  pressure  was  released,  the  air  valve 
was  pushed  up,  thus  releasing  a  rather  complicated 
mechanism  and  pulling  out  a  lever  which  wedged  the 
water  valve  in  place. 

Report  of  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  1903,  criticized 
the  valve  as  follows: 

1.  Too  much  variation  in  adjustment. 

2.  Opening  action  not  positive. 

3.  Subject  to  false  tripping  and  misadjustment  as  a  result  of  wear. 

4.  Invites  process  of  assembling  that  may  leave  it  gagged. 

5.  Not  designed  to  withstand  heavy  pressure. 

6.  Subject  to  clogging  by  mud,  etc. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 

LINN 

Made  by  A.  D.  Linn,  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan. 

1894.  Differential.  This  consisted  of  a  vertically 
rising  air  check  and  water  check  with  an  intermediate 
space  between.  The  air  seat  was  offset  so  that  it  did 
not  come  directly  above  the  water  valve.  The  air  check 
was  connected  to  a  hinged  lever  extending  outside  the 
casing  with  a  weight  on  the  end.  A  system  of  interior 
hinged  levers  connected  the  air  and  water  valves  so  as 
to  give  the  desired  differential. 

Manufacture  discontinued  in  1897. 

Opinion  of  Device  and  Material  Committee,  1904: 

1.  Not  suited  to  all  service  conditions. 

2.  Unduly  complicated. 

3.  Dependent  on  delicate  adjustments. 

4.  Comparatively  unsuccessful  when  corroded. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 


232         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

MACKEY 

John  C.  Mackey,  Syracuse,  N.  Y. 

Gate  valve,  normally  closed  and  opened  in  case  of 
fire  by  means  of  an  auxiliary  thermostat  system.  There 
was  a  heavy  weighted  arm  connected  to  the  gate  valve. 
This  was  held  up  by  a  tripping  lever  C.  When  a  ther- 


MACKEY  DRY  SYSTEM. 

A,  sprinkler.    B,  thermostat.    C,  tripping  lever.    D,  magnet. 
L,  lever.    V,  valve. 

mostat  operated,  the  electro-magnet  D  was  energized 
and  this  pulled  the  tripping  lever  and  allowed  the  arm 
to  fall,  thus  opening  the  valve. 

Now  obsolete. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

MANUFACTURERS 

Manufacturers  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.,  Syracuse,  N.   Y. 

Later  "  Automatic  "  Sprinkler  Co.  of  America. 
1-1892.  Robert  Wood  Type.  Mechanical  valve,  angle 
type.  Swing  air  check,  seating  horizontally.  Sliding 
water  valve  seating  vertically.  Water  valve  held  in 
place  by  system  of  external  levers  and  weights.  An 
auxiliary  air  valve  connecting  with  sprinkler  system  on 
story  above,  to  prevent  water  columning,  held  levers 
in  place."  The  auxiliary  air  valve  was  metal  to  metal 
and  difficult  to  keep  tight. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  233 


MANUFACTURERS  DRY  VALVE. 

Robert  Wood  Type. 

(Section.) 


234        AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Criticized    by    Underwriters'    Laboratories,    1907,    as 
follows: 


"H\MTt«'' DRY-PIPE  W.YE 


MANUFACTURERS  DRY-PIPE  VALVE  3. 

(Section.) 


1.  Invites  process  of  setting  that  will  leave  valve  gagged  or 
water  columned. 

2.  Permits  degree  of  variation  in  adjustment,  causing  excessive 
variation  in  trip  point. 

3.  Is  dependent  on  loose  parts. 

4.  Features  of  design  and  construction. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  235 


MANUFACTURERS  DRY  VALVE. 
No.  3  Model.    General  View. 


236          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Field  experience  unsatisfactory  after  a  number  of 
years  service  due  to  leaking  of  auxiliary  air  check  and 
general  use  of  gaskets,  etc.,  to  make  it  tight.  A  large 
number  of  valves  failed  on  test  from  this  cause. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable  with  old  air  pot. 

3-1907.  New  air  pot  of  larger  diameter.  Weights 
and  levers  enclosed  by  swinging  metal  doors. 

Description.  The  water  valve  (12)  seats  vertically 
and  is  held  closed  by  horizontal  stem  adjusted  by  set 
screw  (7). 

This  stem  has  a  conical  shaped  enlargement  (9)  which, 
when  the  valve  opens,  tightly  closes  the  orifice  through 
which  it  passes.  A  train  of  levers  and  weights  (3,  5,  6, 
4,  2),  resting  finally  on  the  under  side  of  an  auxiliary  air 
valve  B,  holds  the  valve  closed.  The  main  air  check  is 
at  14  and  this  keeps  the  air  pressure  out  of  the  inter- 
mediate space.  An  air  pipe  (16),  connecting  with  the 
sprinkler  system  on  the  2nd  floor,  holds  the  auxiliary 
valve  down.  When  the  air  pressure  is  reduced,  the 
train  of  levers  is  released  and  the  valve  is  opened  by 
the  water  pressure.  The  rotary  gong  is  connected  to 
the  intermediate  space.  The  electric  circuit  closer  is  at 
10  and  is  operated  by  the  weight  5  striking  a  small 
plunger. 

Tests  and  Examinations.  1.  Open  the  air  cock  above 
auxiliary  air  check  to  see  that  there  is  no  accumulation 
of  water  that  might  column  the  valve.  2.  Open  casing 
around  levers  to  see  that  they  are  properly  set  up  and 
not  obstructed.  3.  In  the  old  type  care  should  be  taken 
to  see  that  the  auxiliary  air  check  has  not  bq0n  set  up 
with  a  gasket  or  other  foreign  material  and  that  the  un- 
enclosed leyers  are  not  obstructed.  f 

Approved  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories  and  Factory 
Mutual  Insurance  Cos. 
•  Rating:  Standard. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES 


237 


NAGLE 

F.  Nagle.     Nagle  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.,  Chicago. 

About  1889.  This  was  a  differential  valve  with  a 
ratio  of  1  to  15. 

Description.  The  waste  valve  B  is  double  seated,  the 
intermediate  space  being  connected  to  the  atmosphere. 


NAGLE  DRY-PIPE  VALVE. 
(Section.) 


The  small  outlet  above  this  valve  is  connected  to  the 
sprinkler  pipes  normally  under  air  pressure,  thus  allow- 
ing the  air  pressure  in  the  system  to  rest  on  top  of  this 
valve.  Water  pressure  from  the  main  supply  pipe  reaches 
the  lower  side  of  the  valve  B  through  the  by-pass  P. 

The  main  valve  A  is  also  a  differential  valve  seating  at 
a  and  6.     The  upper  area  is  60  per  cent  larger  than  the 


238         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

lower  area.  The  by-pass  P  allows  water  to  rest  above 
as  well  as  below  -the  valve,  thus  holding  it  closed  on 
account  of  the  differential. 

When  the  air  pressure  in  the  system  is  sufficiently  re- 
duced the  waste  valve  B  will  open.  The  by-pass  P 
being  smaller  than  the  waste  pipe  i,  the  water  pressure 
above  the  main  valve  is  soon  reduced  and  this  valve 
opens. 

There  is  a  pin  and  latch  connected  to  the  waste  valve 
B  which  operates  an  electric  bell  when  the  valve  opens. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


NERACHER  DRY  VALVE  1. 

A,  cock  valve  in  main  riser  B.  N,  P,  U-shaped  tube.  L,  pivot. 
D,  air  pump.  K,  weight,  g,  cord,  k,  pin  pulled  out  when 
U-tube  rocked  back,  thus  releasing  weight. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND   DRY  VALVES  239 

NERACHER 

Wm.  Neracher,  Cleveland,  Ohio. 

1-1887.  Lever  type.  There  was  a  cock  in  the  main 
pipe  operated  by  a  lever  moving  through  an  angle  of 
90  degrees.  When  the  system  was  set  up  the  cock  was 
closed  and  the  lever  engaged  with  a  cord  and  weight 
connected  with  a  large  U-shaped  tube.  This  tube  had 
a  short  closed  end  and  a  longer  open  end  and  was  pivoted 
at  the  center  so  that  it  could  rock  back  and  forth.  It 
was  filled  with  water  up  to  the  level  of  the  top  of  the 
short  arm.  Air  was  pumped  into  the  system  above 
the  cock  and  a  flexible  tube  connecting  the  U-tube  to 
the  sprinkler  system  allowed  the  air  pressure  in  the  pipes 
to  enter  the  short  end  of  the  U.  This  forced  the  water 
up  into  the  long  arm  and  caused  the  tube  to  rock  in  that 
direction.  When  the  air  pressure  was  released,  the  water 
level  in  the  long  arm  dropped  and  this  caused  the  U-tube 
to  rock  back  to  its  normal  position.  This  motion  was 
transmitted  to  the  lever  by  means  of  the  cord  and  for- 
cibly opened  the  cock. 

In  a  later  type  a  diaphragm  was  used  instead  of  a 
rocking  U-tube. 

NERACHER 

Neracher  Sprinkler  Co.,  Warren,  Ohio.     < 

2-Piston  Type.  Device  and  Material  Committee 
opinion,  1904: 

1.  Has  opening  action  traversing  a  pressure  retaining  joint. 

2.  Liable  to  intermittent  action  after  tripping. 

But  few  made. 
NYASCO 
New   York  Automatic  Sprinkler  Company,  New   York. 

1913.  This  is  a  mechanical  valve  built  at  present 
only  in  small  sizes.  Made  primarily  for  steam  jets  in 
vessels. 


240         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

A  horizontally  seating  check  valve  is  held  in  place  by 
a  spindle  and  system  of  levers.  A  corrugated  metal  dia- 
phragm is  attached  to  the  air  side  of  the  check  valve 


NYASCO  DRY  VALVE. 
(Section.) 

and  the  pressure  on  the  diaphragm  holds  the  tripping 
levers  in  place.     When  the  air  pressure  is  released  the 
diaphragm  falls  and  releases  the  levers. 
Not  used  to  any  extent  so  far  as  known. 

N.  Y.  &  N.  H. 

Installed  by  the  New  York  and  New  Haven  Automatic 
Sprinkler  Co.  Office,  New  York.  Factory,  New 
Haven. 

About  1889.  This  was  a  differential  valve  operated 
by  an  auxiliary  thermostat  system.  In  the  cut  the  in- 
let is  shown  at  D  and  the  outlet  at  K.  The  inlet  pipe 
was  connected  to  the  device  between  the  two  parts  of 
the  differential  valve  A- A'.  The  valve  disc  A  moved 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND   DRY  VALVES 


241 


in  a  cylinder  and  was  of  larger  area  than  the  valve  disc 
A'  which  seated  on  a  knife  edge.  The  water  pressure 
acting  on  both  discs  held  the  valve  closed  on  account 
of  the  differential. 


N.  Y.  &  N.  H.  DRY  VALVE. 
(Section.) 


The  lever  F  was  released  by  the  thermostat  system 
which  was  installed  parallel  to  the  sprinkler  pipes.  This 
opened  a  valve  in  the  by-pass  E,  G,  and  allowed  water 
to  pass  into  the  chamber,  normally  free  from  pressure, 
below  the  valve. 

This  created  a  pressure  on  the  lower  side  of  the  lower 
valve  disc  which  balanced  the  pressure  on  the  upper 


242         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

side  of  this  disc.  The  pressure  on  the  under  side  of  the 
upper  valve  disc  then  raised  the  valve  and  allowed  water 
to  flow  into  the  system.  This  valve  was  also  installed 
with  a  vacuum  system.  In  this  a  system  of  small  lead 
piping  was  installed  near  the  sprinkler  piping.  A  hole 
was  bored  in  this  piping  near  each  sprinkler  head  and 
filled  with  low-fusing  solder.  This  piping  terminated  in 
a  vacuum  diaphragm  which  operated  the  lever  F.  Air 
was  exhausted  from  the  small  piping,  thus  raising  the 
diaphragm.  When  fire  occurred  a  fusible  plug  melted, 
thus  letting  air  into  the  vacuum  pipes.  This  operated 
the  diaphragm  and  tripped  the  lever,  thus  opening  the 
dry  valve. 

There  was  an  alarm  gong  connected  to  each  system. 

Used  to  a  limited  extent. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

NIAGARA 

Niagara  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Akron,  Ohio. 

1-1902.  Kersteter  Valve.  Mechanical  valve.  Water 
valve  a  swinging  check  held  in  place  by  a  system 
of  levers  and  weights.  A  swing  check  air  valve  was 
located  higher  up  leaving  an  intermediate  space.  Lev- 
ers tripped  by  an  auxiliary  air  check. 

Features  criticized  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories: 

1.  Setting  process. 

2.  Adjustment. 

3.  Action  in  opening. 

4.  Effect  of  muddy  water. 

5.  Design  and  proportions. 

But  few  made.  Resembled  No.  2  except  tftfet  it  had  a 
square  body. 

Field  experience  shows  uncertainty  of  action. 
Rating:    Unreliable. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND   DRY  VALVES  243 


NIAGARA  DRY  VALVE. 
(General  view,  tripped.) 


244 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 


NIAGARA  DRY  VALVE 

Model  No.  2  (also  known  as  Kersteter),  1902. 

This  valve  was  manufactured  from  1902  to  1906.  The 
body  of  the  valve  was  rounding,  and  carried  a  projec- 
tion to  which  the  tripping  mechanism  was  attached;  this 
projection  was  tubular  in  form  and  cast  integral  with 
valve  body.  The  air  pot  cover  was  held  in  place  by 
a  clamp;  a  heavy  spring  withdrew  the  plunger,  which 


NIAGARA  DRY  VALVE  No.  2. 
(Section.) 

operated  two  clappers  through  a  toggle  joint,  while  a 
third  clapper  was  located  in  the  air  check. 

A  large  elliptical  cover  plate  gave  access  to  the  in- 
terior of  the  valve,  the  external  working  parts  were 
protected  by  wrought  iron  shields,  while  the  stress  nut 
was  operated  from  the  exterior. 

Tested  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  November,  1902. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES 


245 


Criticism:  —  Setting  process,  adjustment,  action  in 
opening,  effect  of  muddy  water,  design  and  propor- 
tions. 

Field  experience  shows  uncertainty  of  action. 

Rating:   Not  standard. 

Model  No.  3  (Feeley  Type),  1906.  Manufactured  from 
1906  to  February,  1908.  The  water  way  of  this  valve 
was  offset  about  one-half  the  diameter  of  the  riser. 


NIAGARA  DRY  VALVE  No.  3, 
(Section.) 

There  was  but  one  clapper  in  the  main  body  of  valve, 
while  the  stress  nut  was  located  in  the  interior. 

A  round  cover  plate  gave  access  to  the  interior.     It 


246 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


was  located  directly  opposite  to  the  operating  mecha- 
nism, and  was  attached  to  the  valve  by  four  stud  bolts, 
and  also  loosely  attached  by  a  hasp  or  shackle. 


NIAGARA  DRY  VALVE  No.  4. 
(Section.) 

While  the  mechanism  was  similar  in  appearance  to 
the  present  day  type,  fulcrum  lever  No.  9  was  not  per- 
manently attached,  as  at  present,  but  loosely  fastened 
with  a  chain,  and  the  thrust  against  the  air  pot  clapper 
was  transmitted  from  the  rear  of  weight  No.  11  through 
a  vertical  strut. 

The  air  pot  cover  was  flat  in  form  and  attached  by 
four  stud  bolts. 

Rating:  Doubtful. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND   DRY  VALVES  247 

Model  No.  4  or  Model  "D,"  1908.  Manufactured 
from  February,  1908,  to  April,  1909.  This  valve  differs 
only  slightly  from  No.  3,  being  a  modification  of  same. 
The  water  way  was  offset  as  in  No.  3;  the  hand-hold  plate 
was  on  the  side,  but  attached  in  same  way  as  on  No.  3. 
Fulcrum  lever  No.  9  was  modified,  being  constructed  to 
rotate  loosely  on  pins  and  the  chain  was  omitted. 

Rating:  Doubtful. 


NIAGARA  DRY  VALVE  No.  5  (Section). 

Model  No.  5  or  Model  "E,"  1909.  Made  by  Ohio 
Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  for  "Automatic  "  Sprinkler 
Co.  of  America. 

Manufactured  from  April,  1909,  to  June,  1910.     The 


248         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

water  way  in  this  valve  was  straight.  The  tripping 
mechanism  was  mounted  on  a  separate  casting  so  that 
it  might  be  removed.  This  mechanism  in  former  models 
had  been  supported  on  a  cast  extension  on  the  valve  body. 

The  method  of  transmitting  stress  from  the  weight 
to  the  air  pot  clapper  was  changed  to  the  present  day 
type,  the  vertical  strut  being  omitted. 

Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  1909. 

Withdrawn,  1915.     Manufacture  discontinued. 

Rating:  Generally  satisfactory. 

Model  No.  6  or  Model  EE,  1910.  Made  by  Ohio  Auto- 
matic Sprinkler  Co.  for  "Automatic  "  Sprinkler  Co. 
of  America. 

Description.  There  is  an  air  pot  with  an  air  check 
that  holds  in  place  a  train  of  levers  and  weights  which, 
when  they  are  released,  allow  a  horizontal  plunger  bear- 
ing against  the  toggle  strut  to  be  thrown  out. 

The  operation  of  the  valve  is  as  follows:  When  the 
air  pressure  in  the  system  is  released  by  the  fusing  of  a 
sprinkler,  the  air  check  (15)  is  pushed  up  and  this  acts 
on  the  trip  lever  (12- A)  which  releases  the  weight  hook 
and  the  weight  (11).  The  horizontal  strut  (10)  then 
releases  the  fulcrum  lever  (9)  which  holds  in  place  the 
plunger  (7).  When  this  plunger  is  released  the  toggle 
strut  (4-5)  collapses  and  the  water  check  (2),  no  longer 
held  in  place,  is  opened  by  the  water  pressure.  The 
water  then  flows  up  through  the  valve  body  and  air 
check  into  the  sprinkler  system.  The  intermediate 
space  is  drained  by  an  automatic  ball  drip  and  the  elec- 
tric alarm  is  given  by  a  circuit  closer  (18),  opej^ted  by 
the  falling  weight  (11). 

Tests  and  Examinations.  Open  drip  valve  above  air 
check. 

Open  casing  and  examine  levers. 

Rating:   Not  standard. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND   DRY  VALVES 


249 


Manufactured  from  Nov.  26th,   1910.     This  valve  is 
identical  in  external  appearance  to  model  E  but  the 


NIAGARA  DRY  VALVE  No.  6 
(Section) 

bridge  piece  No.  5  was  redesigned  with  an  idea  of  lessen- 
ing obstruction  in  the  water  way.     The  upper  strut  pin 


250         AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

No.  25  in  Model  E  is  continuous  with  bearings  at  each 
end  in  the  body  casting,  while  in  Model  EE  the  bearing 
consists  of  two  short  pins,  one  inserted  on  each  side  of 
the  body  casting,  projecting  only  slightly  into  the  water 
way.  The  bridge  piece  is  "  Y  "  shaped,  with  a  bearing  on 
each  pin,  which  gives  a  water  way  about  equal  to  size  of 
valve. 

The  alarm  device  or  circuit  closer  in  this  valve  was 
inserted  from  the  front,  whereas  previously  it  had  been 
inserted  from  the  rear  of  the  casting,  carrying  tripping 
mechanism. 

Test  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  May,  1912,  on 
4-inch  sample.  Heavy  water  clapper  constructed  of 
iron  broke  during  test  at  hinge  where  metal  had  been 
reduced  in  section  to  permit  insertion  of  brass  bushings. 
Other  features  questioned  or  criticized  adversely  include: 
Low  operating  point,  possibility  of  improper  setting 
and  misplacement  of  parts,  minor  features  of  design 
and  construction. 

Model  No.  7  or  Model  F,  1914.  Similar  to  6  or  Model 
EE  except  stress  nut  No.  6  has  a  projection  on  which 
the  thread  is  cut  that  is  threaded  into  the  bridge  piece  5. 
Approved  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  August,  1914. 
Not  used  to  any  extent.  Superseded  by  8. 

Rating:  Satisfactory. 

Model  No.  8  or  Model  G,  1915.  Similar  to  Model  EE 
except  that  a  strengthening  web  is  cast  on  interior  of  the 
valve  above  the  water  seat  and  below  the  hand  hole 
cover;  and  a  plunger  to  which  the  mechanism  bearing 
parts  are  attached.  Approved  by  Underwrite  Lab- 
oratories, 4-inch  and  6-inch  sizes,  1915.  Also  by  the 
Factory  Mutuals  Insurance  Companies. 

Rating:  Standard. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND   DRY  VALVES  251 


NIAGARA  DRY  VALVE  MODEL  8  OR  G. 
(Section.) 


252 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


PHCENIX 

Made  by  Phoenix  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Chicago,  III. 

i.   Differential.     Horizontally    seating    water    valve. 
Connected  by  a  curved  arm  to  a  vertically  seating  air 


PHCENIX  DRY  VALVE. 
(Sections.) 

valve  of  larger  area.  This  large  valve  could  swing 
through  an  angle  of  90  degrees  in  an  offset  to  the  main 
pipe.  An  auxiliary  air  pipe  connected  this  of$pt  to  the 
sprinkler  piping,  thus  putting  the  air  pressure  onto  this 
valve.  When  the  air  pressure  was  released  the  large 
valve  would  swing  open  carrying  the  water  valve  with  it. 
There  was  also  another  air  check  in  the  main  pipe  above 
the  water  valve. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY  VALVES  253 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  Report,  1906,  criticizes: 

1.  Working  differential. 

2.  Bolted  plate  opening  to  intermediate  chamber. 

3.  Seats  liable  to  damage  from  sediment. 

4.  Automatic  drain. 

Not  used  so  far  as  known. 

2-1904.     Mechanical  valve. 

5-inch  size  approved  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories, 
1908.  Approval  withdrawn,  1909.  Manufacture  dis- 
continued. 

Present  rating:  Satisfactory. 

RICHMOND 

McCrum  Howell  Co.,  Chicago. 

Plans  submitted  to  Underwriters'  Laboratories.  No 
complete  device  submitted. 

ROCKWOOD 

Geo.  I.  Rockwood,  Worcester,  Mass.  Made  by  Worcester 
Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  Later  Rockwood  Sprinkler 
Co. 

1-1906.  Copy  of  Grinnell  differential  No.  12.  Ap- 
proved by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  until  1907. 

A-i9o8.  Differential  valve.  Large  counterweighted 
swing  check  valve  with  air  and  water  seat.  Groove  or 
intermediate  space  between  air  and  water  seat  contains 
an  automatic  drip.  A  few  of  the  earlier  valves  had  a 
spring  latch  working  vertically.  This  was  replaced  with 
a  gravity  hinged  latch  in  1909. 

Rating:  Standard. 

Description.  The  differential  valve  A  has  a  metal 
water  seat  and  a  rubber  to  metal  air  seat  in  the  same 
plane.  There  is  a  groove  N  between  these  seats  which 
acts  as  an  intermediate  space.  There  is  an  automatic 
drip  M  connected  with  this  space  as  well  as  the  alarm 
attachments.  The  valve  is  connected  to  a  large  arm  D 


254 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


ROCKWOOD  DRY  VALVE  A. 
(General  view.) 


DRY   SYSTEMS  AND   DRY  VALVES  255 

pivoted  at  F  and  counterweighted  at  E.  There  is  a 
hinged  latch  L  to  prevent  it  from  closing  after  it  has 
once  opened.  The  interior  of  the  chamber  is  readily 
accessible  through  a  large  hinged  hand-hole  plate  //. 


ROCKWOOD  DRY  VALVE  A. 
(Section.) 

Tests  and  Examinations.  Test  for  water  above  draw- 
off  pipe.  Test  automatic  drip  M  to  see  that  it  is  free 
and  not  obstructed  by  dirt. 

SHAW 

Campbell  B.  Shaw,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

1-1898.  Mechanical  valve.  Water  valve  held  closed 
by  spindle  extending  through  stuffing  box  and  connected 
to  a  system  of  levers.  These  levers  were  tripped  by  the 
opening  of  a  small  auxiliary  air  valve  in  somewhat  the 
same  way  as  in  the  Robert  Wood  valve. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 


256         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

2-1903.  Assigned  to  Shaw  Manufacturing  Co.  Me- 
chanical valve.  Water  valve  held  closed  by  levers  ex- 
tending to  outside  of  casing  and  tripped  by  auxiliary  air 
valve. 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  Report,  1902,  criticizes: 

1.  Setting  process. 

2.  Opening  movement. 

3.  External  operating  parts. 

4.  Complication  of  part. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 

STECK 

E.   F.   Steck,    Chicago.     Assigned   to   Fire   Extinguisher 
Manufacturing  Co. 

1-1898.  Mechanical  valve.  Water  check  opening 
against  pressure  was  opened  by  a  lever  counterweighted 
with  a  bucket.  When  the  air  pressure  was  released  a 
small  air  valve  was  opened  and  this  allowed  some  en- 
trapped water  to  flow  into  the  bucket.  The  weight  of 
this  water  opened  the  main  valve.  Not  used  so  far  as 
known. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 

2-1898.  Similar  to  above .  except  that  valve  was 
opened  by  a  system  of  weighted  levers  held  in  place  by 
small  air  valve. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

U.  T.  D.  OR  COX 

Made  by  U.  T.  D.  Sprinkler  &  Supply  Co.,  Chicago. 

Manufacture  discontinued  in  1900. 

Opinion  of  Device  and  Material  Committee^  1904: 

1.  Liable  to  be  inoperative  under  service  conditions. 

2.  Difficulty  of  cleaning  and  setting. 

3.  Dependent  on  skilled  adjustment. 

4.  Subject  to  tripping  from  cessation  of  water  pressure. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND   DRY  VALVES 


257 


WALWORTH 

Made  by  Walworth  Manufacturing  Co.,  Boston. 

1-1884.  This  dry  valve  was  one  of  the  earliest  on 
the  market  and  was  patented  by  C.  C.  Walworth  and 
O.  B.  Hall  of  Boston  in  1884.  It  was  installed  by  the 
Walworth  Manufacturing  Co.  for  a  number  of  years 
but  is  now  obsolete.  It  was  not  a  differential  valve 


A,  supply  pipe, 
D,  outer  tank. 


WALWORTH  DRY  VALVE  1. 

(Section.) 

a,  6,  angle  valve,      e,  lever.     /,  cord,     h,  weight. 
E,  inner  tank,     e,  air  pipe  from  sprinkler  system. 


and  still  did  not  bear  much  resemblance  to  the  ordinary 
type  of  mechanical  valve.  The  actuating  device  was  a 
tank  of  water  with  an  inverted  tank  or  bell  float  inside 
on  the  principle  of  a  gasometer.  A  cord  was  attached 
to  the  bell  float  and  extended  through  a  hole  in  the  outer 
tank  over  a  pulley  to  a  weight.  Air  was  pumped  into 
the  bell  float,  thus  raising  it  to  the  stops.  A  pipe  from 
the  sprinkler  system  connected  to  the  pipe  feeding  the 


258         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

bell  float,  thus  putting  the  same  air  pressure  onto  both 
the  sprinkler  system  and  the  tank.  The  cord  from  the 
bell  float  engaged  with  the  end  of  a  long  lever  attached 
to  a  normally  closed  angle  valve  in  the  main  sprinkler 
pipe. 

When  the  system  was  set  up  the  main  valve  was 
closed  and  held  closed  by  the  weighted  lever.  The  air 
pressure  in  the  system  raised  the  bell  float,  thereby 
allowing  the  weighted  cord  to  fall  to  its  lowest  position. 


WALWORTH  DRY  VALVE  3. 

When  a  sprinkler  opened  the  air  pressure  was  exhausted 
and  the  bell  float  dropped.  This  raised  the  weighted 
cord  which,  pulling  on  the  lever,  opened  the  valve  and 
allowed  water  to  enter  the  system. 

2-1884.     In  another  variation  of  this  device  a  spindle 
valve  was  used  instead  of  a  lever  valve,  the  cord  from 


DRY  SYSTEMS  AND  DRY   VALVES  259 

the  bell  float  being  wound  around  a  drum  on  the  valve 
spindle.  When  the  bell  float  dropped  the  cord  turned 
the  spindle  and  opened  the  valve. 

Both  used  to  some  extent.     Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

WALWORTH 

3-1885.  In  a  later  type  a  globe  valve  was  used  to 
hold  the  water  back.  The  stem  of  this  valve  extended 
through  a  stuffing  box  and  was  loosely  fastened  to  a 
weighted  lever.  The  long  end  of  this  lever  was  held 
in  place  by  a  tripping  device  operated  by  a  diaphragm. 
When  the  lever  was  released  by  the  reduction  of  air 
pressure  the  weighted  end  of  the  lever  dropped  and 
opened  the  valve.  A  check  valve  with  a  weighted  stem 
kept  the  air  pressure  from  the  upper  side  of  the  globe 
valve. 

Used  to  a  limited  extent.     Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


CHAPTER  IX 
SPRINKLER   SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS 

The  purpose  of  .these  systems  is  to  give  notice  at  a 
central  station  in  case  anything  happens  to  a  sprinkler 
system  to  seriously  impair  its  effectiveness  or  in  case 
there  is  a  flowage  in  the  pipes  due  to  a  break  or  to 
the  opening  of  a  sprinkler  head.  The  signals  are  trans- 
mitted to  a  central  station  through  a  closed  circuit  sys- 
tem of  wiring  and  there  received  on  a  bell  and  tape 
machine  in  a  similar  manner  to  thermostat  signals. 
When  a  trouble  signal  is  received  a  runner  is  sent  from 
the  central  station  to  see  that  the  proper  remedies  are 
applied. 

This  is  a  comparatively  new  form  of  protection,  hav- 
ing been  on  the  market  only  since  1906. 

The  rules  of  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Underwriters 
(Signalling  Systems,  Class  H)  give  definite  requirements 
for  many  features  of  the  wiring  and  central  station  and 
are  as  follows: 

RULES   OF  THE  NATIONAL  BOARD   OF  FIRE 

UNDERWRITERS 
Central  Station. 

(a)  From  the  central  office  to  the  protected  risk,  there  must  be 
two  (2)  separate  circuits  one  for  the  water  flow  alarm,  and  the  other 
for  the  supervision  features.  Manuals  must  not  be  installed  on  the 
supervision  circuit  unless  of  approved  non-interfering  pattern. 

(6)  The  central  office  must,  at  all  times,  be  able  to  determine 
from  the  signal  received,  the  particular  feature  of  the  sprinklered 
risk  which  is  out  of  order  and  when  it  has  been  restored. 

This  may  be  accomplished  by  having  separate  transmitters  for 
each  feature  of  the  service  or  distinctive  signals  from  the  same 
transmitter  or  by  a  combination  of  both  methods. 

2SO 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS  261 

Devices,  Circuits,  Etc. 

(a)  Must  be  so  arranged  that  devices  cannot  easily  be  tampered 
with  or  removed  without  giving  a  signal  in  the  central  office. 

(6)  All  circuits  and  electrical  apparatus  must  comply  with  the 
requirements  stated  under  Class  A.  It  is,  however,  strongly  rec- 
ommended that  all  interior  circuits  be  entirely  run  in  approved 
conduit  piping,  wire  to  be  such  as  is  required  in  damp  places,  under 
Rule  3,  Section  6.  Class  A. 

(c)  All  pipe  connections  to  sprinkler  system  must  be  made  in  a 
workmanlike  manner,  equal  in  all  respects  to  the  regular  standard 
required  for  sprinkler  work. 

(d)  Not  more  than  twenty-five  (25)  sets  of  transmitters  or' not 
exceeding  one  hundred  (100)  break  wheels  must  be  connected  on  a 
single  circuit. 

Tests. 

Complete  and  satisfactory  tests  of  all  transmitters  must  be  made 
by  installing  companies  monthly  and  results  reported  to  the  Inspec- 
tion Department  having  jurisdiction. 

SUPERVISION  DETAILS 
Gate  Valves. 

(a)  Connection,  by  means  of  approved  devices,  must  be  made  to 
all  gate  or  other  stop  valves,  under  control  of  the  assured,  in  feed 
pipes  to  sprinklers,  including  all  valves  on  tanks,  fire  pump,  steam 
and  discharge  connections,  city  main  connections,  pump  suction, 
post  indicator  valves,  and  where  necessary,  on  small  valves  used  in 
installation  of  the  service.  Devices  to  be  so  attached  as  not  to  in- 
terfere with  the  operation  of  the  valve  nor  obstruct  the  view  of  indi- 
cator or  access  to  stuffing  boxes. 

(6)  Attachments  on  all  valves  must  give  a  signal  between  the 
first  and  second  revolutions  of  the  hand  wheel,  tending  to  move  the 
valve  from  its  proper  position,  or  when  valve  is  not  controlled  by 
hand  wheel,  signal  must  be  given  before  the  valve  has  moved  \  of 
the  stem  movement  from  its  proper  position. 

Two  separate  and  distinctive  automatic  signals  will  be  required 
for  the  gate  valve  alarm,  one  signal  to  show  that  a  valve  has  been 
removed  from  its  normal  position,  and  another  distinctive  and  differ- 
ent signal  to  show  that  the  valve  has  been  returned  to  its  normal 
position.  The  latter  signal  shall  not  be  given  until  all  valves  have 
been  returned  to  their  normal  position,  or  at  least  to  the  point 
where  the  first  or  trouble  signal  was  given. 


262          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Pressure. 

(a)  All  tanks  or  their  sources  of  pressure,  including  steam  supply 
for  fire  pumps,  also  pressure  on  dry  pipe  system,  must  be  provided 
with  separate  and  independent  attachments,  unless  otherwise  speci- 
fied by  the  Inspection  Department  having  jurisdiction. 

Pipe  to  which  supervisory  devices  are  connected  must  be  pro- 
vided with  a  plugged  test  gauge  connection  and  a  stop  and  relief 
valve  of  satisfactory  pattern;  the  whole  to  be  so  arranged  that 
pressure  on  attachment  and  plugged  connection  can  be  released  for 
testing  purposes. 

(6)  Pressure  tank  attachment  must  give  a  high  and  low  pressure 
signal  at  ten  (10)  pounds  below  and  thirty  (30)  pounds  above  the 
normal  pressure. 

Steam  pressure  attachment  must  give  a  low  pressure  signal  at 
45  pounds. 

Attachment  to  dry  pipe  pressure  system  must  give  a  high  and 
low  pressure  signal  at  ten  (10)  pounds  variation  above  or  below 
normal  pressure. 

In  special  cases  and  for  other  pressure  sources,  specific  instruc- 
tions must  be  obtained  from  the  Inspection  Department  having 
jurisdiction. 

Two  separate  and  distinctive  automatic  signals  will  be  required 
for  pressure  alarm,  one  to  show  that  the  pressure  has  gone  below  or 
above  the  required  amount  and  another  distinctive  and  different 
signal  to  show  that  the  normal  pressure  has  been  restored. 

Water  Levels. 

(a)  All  pressure  and  surge  tanks,  gravity  tanks,  cisterns  and  res- 
ervoirs used  as  a  supply  for  sprinkler  systems,  must  be  equipped 
with  separate  and  independent  attachments  unless  otherwise  speci- 
fied by  Inspection  Department  having  jurisdiction. 

All  devices  used  for  this  purpose  must  be  designed  to  withstand 
corrosion  and  possible  mechanical  obstructions. 

(6)  Must  give  a  low  water  signal  in  all  supplies,  except  pressure 
tanks,  when  water  drops  12  inches  below  the  required  level.  Pres- 
sure tank  device  must  give  a  signal  when  water  drops  4  inches  below 
or  rises  4  inches  above  the  required  level. 

Two  separate  and  distinctive  automatic  signals  will  be  required 
for  water  alarm,  one  to  show  that  water  has  changed  from  the  re- 
quired level,  and  another  to  show  that  the  proper  water  level  has 
been  restored. 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS  263 

Temperature. 

(a)  All  gravity  tanks,  cisterns  and  reservoirs  for  sprinkler  service 
in  which  water  might  freeze,  must  be  equipped  with  suitable  temper- 
ature indicator,  located  two  feet  below  the  required  water  level. 

Note:  Where  tanks,  cisterns  or  reservoirs  are  located  in  houses 
in  which  water  might  freeze,  Inspection  Department  having  juris- 
diction may  require  suitable  temperature  indicators  for  such  houses. 

(6)  The  indicator  must  give  a  separate  and  distinctive  signal 
when  temperature  falls  below  40°  F.,  or  rises  above  160°  F.,  and 
another  distinctive  and  different  signal  to  show  that  water  has  been 
restored  to  the  proper  temperature. 

Fire  Pumps. 

Where  automatic  fire  pumps  are  used  a  complete  supervision 
shall  be  provided  in  each  case,  for  which  special  instructions  must 
be  obtained. 

Water  Flow  Alarm  Details. 

(a)  At  the  base  of  each  system  riser,  satisfactory  and  positive 
connections  must  be  made  by  an  approved  device  for  indicating  the 
flow  of  water  in  the  sprinkler  system,  except  that  due  to  waste 
surges  or  variable  pressure. 

(b)  The  device  must  indicate  at  the  Central  Station  any  leak  or 
flow  of  water  in  the  sprinkler  system,  equal  to  or  greater  than  at 
the  rate  of  ten  (10)  gallons  per  minute. 

Trouble  signal  to  be  distinctive  and  different  from  the  water 
flow  signal. 

(c)  Where  any  private  local  water  flow  alarm  system  is  in  use 
the  supervisory  water  flow  alarm  must  be  so  arranged  that  it  shall 
not  be  dependent  upon  the  operation  of  or  interfered  with  by 
trouble  On  the  local  private  alarm  circuit. 

Manual  Alarms. 

Where  a  sprinklered  risk  is  provided  with  either  a  Central  Sta- 
tion Water  Flow  or  a  Central  Station  Supervision  Alarm,  or  both, 
and  has  not  an  approved  and  properly  maintained  Automatic  Fire 
Alarm  System,  or  Watchman's  Central  Station  Time  Recording 
System,  a  Manual  Fire  Alarm  System  installed  in  accordance  with 
Rules  8  and  9  must  be  provided. 

Signals  and  Reports. 

(a)  Arrangements  must,  if  possible,  be  made  by  the  operating 
company,  by  which  they  shall  have  access  to  premises  under  super- 


264          AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

vision,  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night.  Where  such  arrangements 
cannot  be  made  and  it  might  become  necessary  to  force  an  entrance 
to  the  building,  a  proper  guard  shall  be  placed  over  the  building  so 
long  as  required. 

Note:  It  will,  of  course,  be  understood  that  all  arrangements, 
under  the  above  paragraph,  should  be  made  with  the  owner  of  the 
property  and  must  be  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Inspection 
Department  having  jurisdiction. 

(6)  Arrangements  must  be  made  to  furnish  such  reports  of  signals 
that  may  be  received  and  in  such  form  as  may  be  required  by  the 
Inspection  Department  having  jurisdiction. 

Disposition  of  Signals. 

(a)  Upon  receipt  of  signals  referring  to  matters  of  purely  equip- 
ment maintenance,  the  operating  company  must  immediately  send 
a  runner  to  investigate  and,  if  possible,  see  that  the  trouble  is  reme- 
died at  once. 

They  shall  also  notify  the  Assured  by  telephone  or  by  the  quick- 
est method  available. 

Written  notice  should  be  given  the  Assured  in  all  cases. 

(6)  Upon  receipt  of  signals  showing  flow  of  water  in  the  system, 
the  central  office  must  notify  the  nearest  Insurance  Patrol  and  such 
other  parties  as  the  Inspection  Department  having  jurisdiction  may 
require. 

They  shall  also  dispatch  a  runner  to  the  risk. 

They  shall  also  notify  the  Assured  by  telephone  or  the  quickest 
method  available. 

In  addition  to  which,  written  notice  should  be  given  to  the 
Assured. 

Note:  In  all  cases  where  notification  is  required  to  parties  with 
whom  private  lines  of  communication  have  not  been  provided,  the 
quickest  available  means  of  communication  must  be  used. 

(c)  If,  at  any  time,  a  combination  signal  is  received,  which  from 
its  nature,  is  indicative  of  water  flow  on  the  premises  equipped,  such 
combination  signal  must  be  treated  by  the  central  office  as  a  fire 
alarm. 

All  manual  alarms  are  to  be  treated  as  fire  alarms. 

Note:  Fire  alarms  received  from  Sprinkler  Supervisory  service 
shall  be  transmitted  to  the  city  fire  alarm  office  and  patrol  or  such 
other  places  as  required  by  the  Inspection  Department  having 
jurisdiction,  and  should  at  all  times  be  treated  as  still  alarms. 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS  265 

LIMITATIONS   OF  THE   SYSTEMS 

Supplies  from  tanks  and  automatic  pumps  can  be 
efficiently  supervised  but  where  a  waterworks  connec- 
tion is  the  only  source  of  supply  the  supervision  is  not 
as  satisfactory.  The  gate  valves  from  tanks  and  pumps 
are  accessible  and  the  supervisory  attachment  can  be 
readily  made;  but  it  is  usually  impractical  to  super- 
vise the  underground  waterworks  valves  on  a.  sprinkler 
connection  and  it  is  certainly  not  practical  to  super- 
vise all  the  street  main  gate  valves,  the  closing  of  which 
might  shut  off  water  from  the  risk  in  question.  It 
would  always  be  possible,  therefore,  that  the  street 
main  or  even  the  sprinkler  connection  from  the  main 
might  be  shut  off  without  giving  any  trouble  alarm. 
A  partial  safeguard  can  be  installed  in  the  form  of  an 
alarm  gage  on  the  sprinkler  system.  This  is  adjusted 
so  that  when  the  water  pressure  drops  to  a  certain  pre- 
determined point,  say  25  per  cent  below  normal,  an  alarm 
will  be  given.  With  this  arrangement  no  fire  could 
occur  without  some  alarm  being  given  through  the 
supervisory  system  although  the  sprinkler  system  might 
be  practically  out  of  commission. 

If  the  street  connection  was  shut  off  it  is  probable 
that  the  pressure  in  the  sprinkler  system  would  gradually 
fall  until  a  trouble  alarm  was  given.  If,  however,  the 
system  was  so  tight  that  this  did  not  occur,  then  in  case 
of  fire  a  sprinkler  head  would  open  and  the  pressure 
would  at  once  drop  and  an  alarm  be  given.  While, 
therefore,  the  water  supply  might  not  be  efficiently 
supervised  the  supervisory  system  would  still  act  as  a 
fire  alarm.  With  a  sprinkler  supervisory  system  prop- 
erly installed  and  maintained  the  sprinkler  system  is 
not  only  supervised  so  that  the  chance  of  failure  in 
time  of  fire  is  reduced  to  a  minimum  but  the  system 
itself  becomes  an  alarm  service  of  the  most  efficient 


266         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 

type.  This  service  may  generally  be  considered  the 
full  equivalent  of  a  thermostat  system  or  standard 
watchman's  service  when  efficiently  maintained. 

Supervisory  systems  must  necessarily  be  confined  to 
regions  where  there  is  a  considerable  number  of  sprink- 
lered  risks  near  together,  probably  to  the  larger  cities 
and  their  suburbs,  as  it  would  not  pay  to  go  to  the 
expense  of  equipping  and  maintaining  an  expensive 
central  station  in  other  places. 

Up  to  a  few  years  ago  there  were  two  systems  on  the 
market,  the  American  District  Telegraph  Co.  and  the 
Consolidated  Co.,  but  at  present  only  the  A.  D.  T.  sys- 
tem is  being  installed. 

DESCRIPTION   OF   DEVICES 

The  devices  consist  in  general  of  circuit  breakers  at- 
tached to  check  valves  to  give  water  flow  alarm;  gate 
valve  attachments,  pressure  gages,  water  level  attach- 
ments, temperature  devices  and  the  necessary  trans- 
mitters, batteries,  etc.  All  wiring  is  installed  in  conduit 
so  that  there  is  no  chance  to  short  circuit  the  system, 
thus  putting  the  alarm  connections  out  of  service. 
The  different  attachments  are  securely  fastened  in  place 
so  that  they  cannot  be  disconnected  without  giving  an 
alarm  and  they  all  have  case  contact  or  telltale  attach- 
ments to  prevent  removing  the  cover  and  tampering 
with  the  interior  mechanism  without  giving  a  trouble 
signal. 

Water  Flow  Apparatus.  The  attachment  for  giving 
the  water  flow  signals  can  be  fastened  to  an  alann  valve, 
or  to  any  check  valve  provided  it  is  slightly  weighted. 
It  consists  of  an  arm  pivoted  near  the  middle  in  a 
bronze  diaphragm.  One  end  of  the  arm  extends  inside 
of  the  check  valve  to  the  under  side  of  the  clapper  and 
is  normally  held  down  by  the  weight  of  the  clapper. 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS 


267 


0 


268 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


"frrr^- 

i* lllr— - 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS 


269 


270 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


The  other  end  of  the  arm  carries  an  insulating  ring 
which  lifts  a  spring,  thereby  separating  two  platinum 
points.  When  there  is  a  flow  of  water  through  the 
system  the  check  valve  rises,  thus  allowing  one  end  of 


A.  D.  T.  ALARM  VALVE  APPARATUS. 

a,  binding  screws  for  circuit  wires. 
L,  binding  screws  for  local  bell  wires. 
6,  case  contact  for  telltale. 

c,  platinum  contact  points. 

d,  insulating  ring  or  lever  arm. 

e,  platinum  points  for  local  bell. 

the  arm  to  rise  and  make  contact  between  the  platinum 
points  at  the  other  end,  the  motion  being  transmitted 
through  the  flexible  diaphragm.  The  making  of  the 
circuit  by  the  platinum  points,  starts  a  transmitter  and 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS 


271 


A.  D.  T.  ALARM  VALVE  ATTACHMENT. 

Contacts  are  in  box  at  extreme  left  of  picture.    Wires  run  in  conduit 
taken  out  at  top  of  box.     Manual  alarm  box  at  extreme  right. 


272          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

sends  a  signal  to  the  central  station.  The  platinum 
contacts  are  connected  to  the  transmitter  by  two  loops 
so  as  to  insure  safety  and  to  indicate  trouble.  The  case 
contact  or  telltale  consists  of  a  make-and-break  contact 
in  one  of  these  loops  which,  when  the  cover  is  in  place, 


A.  D.  T.  ALARM  VALVE  TRANSMITTER. 

a,  a,  water  flow  signal  magnets,  b,  device  for  causing  wheel  W.  F. 
to  make  one  full  revolution  when  it  starts,  c,  c,  central  station 
contact  springs,  d,  springs  for  changing  connections  wl^en  wheel 
T  has  made  one  revolution.  T,  E,  Time  element  magnet.  W,  F, 
water  flow  signal  wheel.  T,  trouble  signal  wheel,  e,  cam  for 
changing  connections  from  T,  E  to  a,  a. 

.  ,.  tf|,' 

is  held  closed.  When  the  cover  is  removed  the  circuit  is 
broken  and  a  trouble  signal  is  sent  to  the  central  station. 
The  transmitter  consists  of  two  wheels,  driven  by 
clockwork,  which  are  connected  in  series.  One  wheel 
is  for  trouble  signals  and  one  for  water  flow  signals. 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY   SYSTEMS  273 


no 


A.  D.  T.  ALARM  VALVE  CIRCUITS. 


274          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

The  trouble  signal  is  controlled  by  a  time  element  de- 
vice consisting  of  a  large  magnet  energized  by  a  local 
battery,  and  normally  holding  up  its  armature.  When 
there  is  a  water  flow,  the  attachment  on  the  check  valve 
closes  a  short  circuit  around  this  magnet  and  allows  this 
armature  to  fall.  The  fall  of  the  armature  is  retarded 
by  clockwork  so  timed  that  it  will  take  longer  than  the 
duration  of  any  ordinary  hammer  for  the  armature  to 
complete  its  fall.  When  the  short  circuit  is  removed, 
the  armature  returns  to  its  normal  position;  but  if  it 
lasts  a  sufficient  length  of  time,  as  in  case  of  a  sprinkler 
head  opening,  the  clockwork  controlling  the  trouble 
wheel  is  released  by  the  armature  and  one  round  of  the 
box  number  is  sent  in  short  quick  dashes  to  the  central 
station.  When  this  wheel  completes  one  revolution  it 
automatically  changes  the  connections  and  closes  the 
circuit  through  a  second  magnet  which  trips  the  clock 
controlling  the  water  flow  signal  wheel  and  sends  in 
three  rounds  of  the  box  number. 

If  at  any  time  the  water  flow  should  cease  and  the 
contacts  in  the  check  valve  attachment  open,  the  re- 
sults would  be  as  follows.  If  the  short  circuit  was  re- 
moved before  the  armature  of  the  time  element  magnet 
completed  its  fall,  the  armature  would  return  to  its 
normal  position  and  no  signal  would  be  transmitted. 
This  prevents  an  alarm  from  being  sent  in  when  the 
water  flow  is  of  short  duration  such  as  would  occur  in 
case  of  water  hammer.  A  small  flowage,  such  as  is 
caused  by  the  operation  of  one  sprinkler,  would  cause 
an  intermittent  action  on  the  part  of  the  check  valve; 
that  is  the  check  would  open  for  a  short  period  and 
then  close.  In  most  cases  the  interval  between  the 
lifting  and  seating  of  the  check  is  longer  than  the 
period  of  retard  employed,  so  that  while  the  alarm  may 
be  slightly  delayed  it  will  finally  be  given.  In  a  small 
percentage  of  cases  any  adjustment  of  the  retard-  ele- 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS 


275 


ment  that  would  prevent  water  hammer  signals  is  likely 

to  cause  a  failure  to  get 
the  water  flow  signal.  In 
such  cases  it  has  been 
necessary  to  maintain  an 
excess  pressure  on  the 
sprinkler  system  above 
the  check  valve  so  as  to 
prevent  any  water  ham- 
mer from  raising  the 
check.  This  can  be  easily 
done  with  a  small  hand 
pump  or  by  connection 
to  some  pump  furnishing 
pressure  for  other  pur- 
poses. In  order  to  main- 
tain the  pressure  properly, 
a  pressure  gage  is  installed 
on  the  riser  arranged  to 
give  notice  at  the  central 
office  when  any  consider- 
able drop  in  pressure  oc- 
curs. When  such  signals 
are  received,  the  central 
office  takes  steps  to  re- 
store the  pressure  to  its 
original  amount. 

If  the  contacts  did  not 
open  until  the  trouble 
wheel  had  started,  this 
wheel  would  complete  one 
revolution  and  then  stop. 
A  trouble  signal  would 
be  received  at  the  Central 
Station.  In  this  case  the  armature  of  the  time  element 
would  return  to  its  normal  position  and  the  time  element 


A.  D.  T.  DRY  VALVE  ATTACHMENT. 

High  and  low  air  pressure  alarm 
shown  in  circular  case  at  left. 
Water  flow  switch  connecting  to 
intermediate  chamber  shown  at 
right  (white  disc) . 


276         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

would  again  be  in  service  but  no  trouble  signal  would 
be  transmitted  until  the  box  had  been  rewound.  A 
second  closing  of  the  platinum  points  before  the  box 
had  been  rewound,  as  from  water  hammer,  would  send 
in  a  water  flow  signal,  but  not  preceded,  as  ordinarily, 
by  a  trouble  signal. 

If  the  contacts  did  not  open  until  the  water  flow 
signal  wheel  had  started,  one  full  round  of  the  wheel  or 
a  complete  water  flow  signal  would  be  given  before  it 
stopped. 

The  entire  system  is  wired  on  a  loop,  so  that  in  case  a 
wire  is  broken  a  trouble  signal  is  received  but  the  water 
flow  signal  is  not  crippled.  The  giving  out  of  the  bat- 
tery causes  a  trouble  signal  to  be  sent  in  but  no  alarm 
can  be  transmitted  until  repairs  have  been  made.  The 
central  station  apparatus  is  arranged  to  indicate  grounds 
and  breaks  on  the  outside  line.  A  ground  can  be  taken 
care  of  at  the  central  station  and  it  does  not  disable  the 
circuit.  A  single  break  can  be  temporarily  taken  care 
of  until  repairs  are  made  but  two  breaks  in  the  line  cut 
out  all  apparatus  located  between  the  breaks. 

Gate  Valve  Attachment.  This  is  a  device  which  is 
clamped  onto  a  gate  valve  and  arranged  to  give  a 
trouble  alarm  in  case  the  valve  should  be  closed  or 
partially  closed.  The  box  is  fastened  to  the  yoke  of 
the  valve  so  that  the  rubber  roller  inside  stands  in  the 
centre  of  the  circle  formed  by  the  curves  in  two  German 
silver  springs.  When  in  this  position  the  platinum  points 
on  the  ends  of  the  springs  are  in  contact  and  complete 
an  electrical  circuit.  Another  roller  on  the  same  spindle 
as  the  first,  but  outside  of  the  box,  fits  into  a  groove  in 
the  valve  stem.  If  the  valve  is  turned  a  predetermined 
amount  from  the  wide  open  position,  the  outside  roller 
is  moved  sideways  by  the  motion  of  the  valve  stem, 
thus  causing  the  inside  roller  to  be  pushed  to  one  side 
and  opening  the  circuit.  The  amount  of  motion  neces- 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS  -  277 

sary  to  do  this  can  be  adjusted  as  desired  but  in  prac- 
tice one  complete  revolution  of  the  valve  stem  will  push 
the  springs  apart  and  break  the  circuit.  There  is  a  tell- 
tale on  this  device  similar  to  that  on  the  water  flow  box 
which  gives  a  trouble  signal  when  the  cover  is  removed. 
In  case  the  whole  box  is  removed,  the  spiral  spring  in- 
side would  move  the  rubber  roller  and  force  the  con- 


A.  D.  T.  GATE  VALVE  ATTACHMENT.    INTERIOR. 

c,  case,     d,  case  contact,     e,  rubber  roller.    /,  /,  german  silver 

springs,    g,  rubber  post  for  closing  case  contact. 

tacts  apart,  thus  opening  the  circuit  and  giving  a  trouble 
signal. 

The  magnets  for  this  device  are  operated  by  a  local 
battery  and  are  in  multiple  with  those  used  in  connec- 
tion with  the  pressure,  water  level  and  temperature 
devices.  There  are  separate  transmitters  for  each  of 
these  devices  and  the  central  station  circuit  comes  up 
to  the  number  wheels  on  these.  The  wheels  are  oper- 
ated by  clockwork  controlled  by  the  magnets.  There  is 


278         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

a  loop  around  three  of  the  magnets,  normally  held  open 
by  the  local  battery  but  which  is  closed  if  this  battery 
circuit  fails.  The  gate  valve,  pressure  and  gravity 
(water  level)  instruments  are  each  connected  in  series 
with  a  double  wound  magnet,  one  circuit  being  normally 
open.  This  magnet  normally  holds  up  its  armature 
but  drops  it  when  the  circuit  is  opened  by  the  instru- 


A.  D.  T.  GATE  VALVE  ATTACHMENT.    REAR. 

a,  roller  that  fits  into  slot  in  valve  stem.     6,  clamp  for 

fastening  instrument  to  valve  yoke,    c,  instrument  case. 

ment  or  by  the  removing  of  the  cover,  thus  releasing 
the  clockwork.  When  the  armature  drops,  the  clock- 
work sends  in  two  rounds  of  the  box  number,  £he  clock 
being  then  stopped  by  the  lifting  of  the  other  armature 
on  the  magnet  which  is  raised  by  the  starting  of  the 
clock. 

When  the  valve  is  again  opened,  the  first  winding  is 
closed  and  the  magnet  is  neutralized,  thus  dropping  the 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS  279 


A.  D.  T.  GATE  VALVE  ATTACHMENT. 

Showing  attachment  to  an  O.  S.  &  Y.  floor  valve. 

Wiring  in  flexible  conduit. 


280 


AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


armature    and    starting    the    clock.     When    the    wheel 
starts,  the  second  winding  is  opened  and  the  armature 


A.  D.  T.  PRESSURE  DEVICE.     1906  TYPE.    No  longer  used, 
a,  bourdon  tube.     6,  lever  operated  by  bourdon  tube,     c,  contact 
springs,      d,  pipe  connections  to  pressure  tank  or  dry  system. 
e,  case  contact. 

is  raised  by  the  first  winding  and  the  clock  is  stopped 
at  the  end  of  one  round. 

Pressure   Indicator.     This   consists   of  a  metal   dia- 
phragm which  supports  a  weighted  lever.     When  this 


SPRINKLER   SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS 


281 


A.  D.  T.  SUPERVISORY  DEVICES. 

Water  level  float  for  pressure  tanks,  at  left.  Water  flow  switch  for 
alarm  valves,  in  centre.  Large  O.  S.  &  Y.  valve  attachment,  right 
centre.  Water  flow  device  for  dry  valves,  upper  right.  High  and 
low  ah*  pressure  device,  lower  right. 


282         AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


A.  D.  T.  PRESSURE  TANK  ATTACHMENTS. 

Water  level  alarm  in  rectangular  box  at  left.     High  and  low  air 
pressure  alarm  in  covered  gage  located  at  top  of  tank. 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS 


283 


diaphragm  is  under  pressure,  the  lever  holds  two  electri- 
cal contacts  together  but  when  the  pressure  drops  these 
contacts  are  opened.  The  opening  pressure  can  be  ad- 
justed to  suit  any  conditions.  This  replaces  an  instru- 
ment used  till  quite  recently  which  contained  a  large 
bourdon  spring  as  the  acting  mechanism. 


A.  D.  T.  WATER  LEVEL  DEVICE.      1906  TYPE.      No  longer  used. 

a,  case.    6,  lever  attached  to  float,     c,  contact  point,    d,  case 

contact  springs,    e,  case  cover.     L,  lever  operated  by  float. 

Water  Level  Device.  This  consists  of  a  float  inside 
of  a  perforated  brass  pipe  which  extends  into  the  tank 
at  the  water  level.  A  lever  which  is  attached  to  a  float 
and  pivoted  in  a  bronze  diaphragm  extends  into  a  metal 
box.  This  lever  ends  in  a  small  arm  which  when  in  its 
normal  position  holds  two  platinum  contacts  together. 


284 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


A.  D.  T.  GRAVITY  TANK  ATTACHMENTS. 

Water  level  alarm  at  left.    Temperature  alarm  at  right. 
Wiring  in  conduit. 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS  285 

When  the  float  falls  the  lever  is  moved  and  the  con- 
tacts are  forced  apart.  There  is  a  telltale  on  the  cover 
to  give  a  trouble  signal  when  the  cover  is  removed. 


A.  D.  T.  TEMPERATURE  DEVICE. 

a,  high  temperature  contact  binding  post,  b,  low  temperature 
contact  binding  post,  c,  constant  contact  binding  post,  d,  screw 
for  fastening  thermometer  to  side  of  tank,  e,  thermometer  bulb. 


The  magnets  and  transmitter  are  similar  to  those  used 
in  the  pressure  indicator. 

Temperature  Device.  This  is  a  mercurial  thermom- 
eter, the  bulb  of  which  extends  through  the  side  of  the 
tank  into  the  water.  Three  platinum  wires  are  fused 


286         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

into  the  glass  tube,  the  upper  one  at  about  180°  F.  to 
give  a  signal  when -the  temperature  nears  boiling  point; 
the  middle  one  at  about  40°  F.  to  give  a  signal  when  the 
temperature  nears  the  freezing  point;  the  lower  at  a 
point  where  it  will  always  be  in  contact  with  the  mercury. 
When  the  temperature  is  normal,  that  is  between  40° 
and  180°  F.,  the  circuit  is  closed  through  the  lower  wire 
running  into  the  base  of  the  mercury  column,  and  the 
middle  wire  set  to  indicate  freezing.  If  the  temperature 
drops  below  40°  F.  the  circuit  is  broken  at  the  middle 
wire.  If  the  temperature  rises  above  180°  F.  a  short 
circuit'is  made  at  the  upper  wire.  There  is  also  a  tell- 
tale on  the  cover  of  this  device. 

The  thermometer  is  connected  to  a  triple  wound  mag- 
net. The  wire  from  the  high  temperature  connection 
runs  to  the  third  winding  and  is  normally  an  open  cir- 
cuit. When  this  circuit  is  closed,  by  the  mercury 
reaching  180°  F.,  the  magnet  is  neutralized  by  the  two 
.opposite  wound  coils.  The  armature  then  drops  and  the 
clockwork  is  started.  As  soon  as  this  happens  the 
circuit  of  the  remaining  winding  is  closed,  the  magnet 
again  becomes  operative  and  raises  the  armature,  thus 
stopping  the  clockwork  at  the  end  of  two  rounds.  When 
the  circuit  of  the  high  temperature  winding  is  opened 
again  the  magnet  becomes  neutral,  the  armature  drops 
and  the  clockwork  is  started.  When  this  happens  the 
second  winding  is  opened  and  the  third  winding  lifts 
the  armature  and  stops  the  clock  after  one  round.  The 
low  temperature  alarm  operates  in  a  similar  manner  to 
the  other  devices. 

A  few  systems  were  installed  in  which  the  local  bat- 
tery circuit  contained  two  relays,  one  of  which  short 
circuited  the  central  station  pens  of  the  instruments 
and  the  other  removed  the  ground  connection  from  the 
same  instruments  in  case  the  local  battery  circuit  failed. 
This  allowed  the  gate  valve  instrument  to  send  in  an 


SPRINKLER  SUPERVISORY  SYSTEMS  287 

uninterrupted  signal  (as  all  four  instruments  start  on 
the  failure  of  this  battery)  so  that  "  central  "  would  be 
able  to  locate  and  remedy  the  trouble.  These  have  not, 
however,  been  found  necessary  and  are  not  now  being 
used. 


CHAPTER  X 
MAINTENANCE  AND   FIRE  RECORD 

MAINTENANCE 

A  sprinkler  system,  to  be  effective,  must  be  maintained 
in  proper  working  condition  at  all  times.  As  a  matter 
of  fact  these  systems  are  very  liable  to  be  neglected, 
partly,  no  doubt,  because  their  maintenance  is  not 
essential  to  the  successful  operation  of  a  plant.  If  a 
sprinkler  valve  remains  closed  it  does  not  cripple  the 
output  of  a  factory  as  might  be  the  case  if  a  domestic 
service  pipe  was  shut  off.  So  prone  is  the  average  owner 
or  manager  to  delay  or  neglect  repairs  on  his  sprinkler 
system  that  the  insurance  companies  have  found  it 
necessary  to  maintain  a  very  expensive  system  of  in- 
spection in  order  that  they  may  be  reasonably  sure  that 
the  equipments,  for  which  they  are  allowing  a  very 
large  reduction  in  rate,  are  maintained  in  proper  condi- 
tion. 

These  inspections  bring  to  light  a  most  unexpected 
number  of  defects,  due  mostly  to  carelessness  or  neglect. 
These  faults  are  usually  remedied  at  once  and  were 
this  not  so,  the  losses  on  sprinklered  risks  would  be 
much  larger  than  they  are. 

In  1917,  in  one  year's  inspection  by  the  Underwriters' 
Bureau  of  New  England,  covering  about  3650  risks, 
visited  on  an  average  of  twice  a  year,  the  following  de- 
fects were  found:  |£ 

Sprinkler  gate  valves  closed 206 

Sprinkler  gats  valves  partially  closed 23 

Tanks  or  reservoirs  over  one-third  empty 63 

Tanks  or  reservoirs  frozen 16 

288 


MAINTENANCE  AND  FIRE  RECORD  289 

Steam  pumps  out  of  service 31 

Rotary  pumps  out  of  service 48 

Dry-pipe  systems  shut  off 42 

Sprinklers  frozen 51 

Alarm  valve  rotary  gongs  out  of  order 239 

Alarm  valve  electric  gongs  out  of  order 349 

Sprinkler  systems,  like  other  fire  appliances,  are  emer- 
gency devices  and  are  seldom  needed  but  when  the  occa- 
sion arises  they  are  the  most  important  devices  in  the 
plant. 

Inspection  Methods  in  Use.  Attempts  have  been 
made  to  solve  the  problem  of  inspecting  fire  appliances 
in  three  ways. 

1.  Inspection  by  the  Company  that  Installed  the  Device. 
In  Russia  and  in  some  other  countries  sprinkler  systems 
are  regularly  inspected  by  the  installing  companies  and 
in  our  own  country  certain  devices  like  sprinkler  super- 
visory and  thermostat  equipments  are  often  under  simi- 
lar inspection.     The  advantage  of  this  system  is  that 
the  inspectors  are  experts  in  their  line  and  take  pride  in 
seeing  that  the  devices  are  kept  in  good  order.    The  disad- 
vantages are :  that  it  requires  a  different  set  of  inspectors 
for  each  type  of  device ;  that  it  tends  to  take  the  respon- 
sibility from  the  owners  and  to  prevent  them  from  becom- 
ing familiar  with   their  own  devices;   that  inspections 
cannot  usually  be  frequent  enough  for  the  best  results. 

2.  Inspection  by  Bureaus  Supported  by  the  Insurance 
Companies.     By  this  method  one  man  can  make  the 
inspection  of  all  the  devices  in  the  plant  as  well  as  make 
suggestions  for  lessening  the  fire  hazard  and  keep  the 
insurance  companies  informed  as  to  conditions.     He  is 
unprejudiced  and  primarily  looks  after  the  interests  of 
his  employers  who  desire  first  of  all  the  prevention  of 
serious  fires.     The  principal  defect  in  this  method,  which 
is  common  to  the  first  method,  is  that  inspections  can- 
not be  made  frequently  enough. 


290         AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

At  best  such  inspections  are  not  made  oftener  than 
three  or  possibly  four  times  a  year  and  a  device  might 
remain  out  of  order  three  or  four  months  if  the  Assured 
were  to  rely  entirely  upon  supervision  by  the  insurance 
companies. 

3.  Inspection  by  the  Assured.  The  great  advantage 
of  this  method  is  that  it  can  be  done  as  often  as  it  seems 
necessary  and  that  there  is  constantly  some  one  on  hand 
who  is  familiar  with  the  work.  The  disadvantages  are 
that  the  inspector  is  apt  to  be  prejudiced  and  not  to  re- 
port matters  which  it  is  his  interest  to  conceal.  He  is 
also  apt  to  do  the  work  in  a  perfunctory  manner  and  not 
to  be  thorough.  There  is  little  incentive  to  do  careful 
and  accurate  work. 

All  three  systems  have  their  defects,  but  as  no  one 
defect  is  common  to  all,  it  follows  that  a  combination 
of  these  should  give  satisfactory  results.  In  other 
words,  weekly  inspection  by  the  Assured,  inspection 
every  three  or  four  months  by  the  insurance  interests  and 
regular  inspections  of  certain  complicated  devices,  like 
sprinkler  supervisory  and  thermostat  systems,  by  the 
installing  companies  should  result  in  proper  mainte- 
nance of  fire  appliances. 

Care  of  Valves.  The  closed  gate  valve  is  the  most 
important  and  frequent  defect  found  at  inspections. 
Valves  are  usually  closed  for  repairs  by  some  employee 
who  forgets  to  open  them  and  who  neglects  to  notify  the 
manager  that  they  have  been  closed.  The  mill  can  be 
operated  even  if  all  the  sprinkler  valves  are  closed  and 
there  is  nothing  to  call  the  attention  of  the  management 
to  the  fact  except  inspection.  |£ 

The  sealing  or  strapping  open  of  supply  valves  is  one 
of  the  best  safeguards  against  this  trouble.  It  tends 
to  prevent  malicious  or  thoughtless  closing  of  valves 
and  also  tends  to  impress  upon  the  employees  the  im- 
portance of  using  great  care  in  handling  these  devices. 


MAINTENANCE  AND  FIRE  RECORD  291 

There  are  two  distinct  methods  of  handling  this  mat- 
ter. First  by  putting  the  full  responsibility  upon  the 
Assured  and  requesting  that  they  keep  the  valves 
strapped  open.  Second  by  having  the  valves  sealed 
by  the  insurance  inspectors.  The  first  method  is  the 
most  common  and  the  results  are  usually  satisfactory 
in  well-managed  plants  where  there  are  good  men  in 
charge  of  the  fire  appliances.  The  second  method  has 
long  been  used  in  cities  where  there  are  local  inspection 
bureaus  and  where  inspectors  can  be  sent  at  short 
notice  to  reseal  valves.  In  locations  where  the  inspec- 
tion department  has  to  cover  a  large  territory  it  has  not 
been  considered  quite  as  desirable  for  it  may  be  some 
time  after  the  notification  of  a  broken  seal  is  received, 
before  an  inspector  can  be  sent.  Meanwhile  the  Assured 
are  more  apt  to  neglect  the  apparatus,  putting  too 
much  responsibility  upon  the  inspection  bureau.  When 
this  method  is  used  it  is  of  course  quite  necessary  to 
have  some  easy  method  by  which  the  Bureau  may  be 
notified  whenever  a  seal  is  broken.  Self-addressed  pos- 
tal cards  supplied  for  the  purpose  are  sometimes  used 
but  even  with  these,  the  matter  is  very  apt  to  be  for- 
gotten. 

A  method  of  easy  notification  of  such  trouble,  and  one 
that  tends  to  prevent  the  shifting  of  too  much  respon- 
sibility onto  the  inspection  bureau  was  inaugurated  by 
the  writer  rec  ntly  and  has  been  giving  excellent  re- 
sults. A  special  non-stripping  wire  with  the  ends  sealed 
with  a  small  lead  seal  is  used  for  this  purpose  and  a  tag, 
giving  directions  as  to  what  to  do  in  case  the  valve  is 
closed,  is  slipped  on  to  the  wire. 

This  reads  on  one  side  as  follows: 


292         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 
Name  of  risk ;         File  No 


SPRINKLER  VALVE 

Controlling Valve  No. 

Sealed  (date) by 


In  case  seal  has  to  be  broken  please  fill  in  the  following  data, 
TEAR  OFF  THIS  TAG  WHERE  COUPONED  and  send  this 
tag  at  once  to  address  on  reverse  side.  Open  the  valve  again  as 
soon  as  possible,  strapping  it  with  leather  strap,  ends  riveted  or 
padlocked. 

This  seal  IN  NO  WAY  RELIEVES  THE  MANAGEMENT 
OF  THIS  PLANT  OF  FULL  RESPONSIBILITY  FOR  PROPER 
CARE  OF  VALVES  and  other  fire  appliances. 

Seal  broken  (date) 

Cause 

7s  Valve  still  shut Signed 


The  inspector  fills  in  the  data  on  the  first  3  lines  when 
the  seal  is  affixed.  On  the  other  side  of  the  tag  is  printed 
the  name  and  the  address  of  the  Bureau  with  a  rectangle 
for  a  stamp. 

When  a  valve  is  closed,  this  tag  is  torn  off,  the  neces- 
sary data  filled  in,  a  stamp  affixed  and  the  tag  mailed. 

By  this  method  there  is  much  less  chance  for  the 
matter  of  notification  being  forgotten  and  much  valu- 
able information  is  received  by  the  Inspection  Bureau. 
If  conditions  warrant,  an  inspector  can  be  sent  at  once 
to  the  plant.  If  not,  the  valve  can  be  resealed  at  the 
first  convenient  opportunity. 

Nothing  that  cannot  be  readily  broken  should  be  used 
in  sealing  valves.  Heavy  chain  and  padlock  is  unde- 
sirable because  in  case  of  emergency  when  the  key  is 


MAINTENANCE  AND  FIRE   RECORD  293 

not  at  hand  the  valve  cannot  be  closed  without  consid- 
erable delay.  A  light  leather  strap  with  ends  padlocked 
or  riveted  is  preferable. 

If  seals  are  used,  a  wire  with  ends  fastened  by  a  lead 
seal  is  a  desirable  arrangement.  A  non-stripping  wire 
consisting  of  a  small  wire  wound  spirally  around  a 
larger  wire  is  now  made  for  this  purpose.  Self-locking 
tin  seals  about  J  inch  wide  are  convenient  but  are  not 
recommended  for  the  reason  that  the  edges  are  rough 
and  sharp  and  "apt  to  cause  a  bad  cut  if  an  attempt  is 
made  to  break  the  seal  by  pulling  it  with-  the  hand. 
Several  bad  cases  of  blood  poisoning  have  resulted  from 
the  use  of  these  seals.  Such  seals  can,  however,  be  used 
in  conjunction  with  a  leather  strap  or  a  chain  to  fasten 
the  two  ends  together. 

The  Associated  Factory  Mutual  Insurance  Com- 
panies have  recently  inaugurated  a  system  of  tagging 
valves  in  which  the  full  responsibility  is  placed  on  the 
Assured.  They  use  a  large  red  tag  containing  certain 
data  to  be  filled  out  which  is  printed  in  duplicate  on  the 
upper  and  lower  half.  It  is  planned  to  use  this  only 
when  a  valve  is  closed.  The  data  to  be  filled  out  in- 
cludes the  valve  number,  date  and  time  when  closed, 
by  whom  closed,  reason  for  closing,  time  opened,  etc. 
When  a  valve  is  closed  the  upper  part  of  the  tag,  prop- 
erly filled  out,  is  tied  onto  the  valve.  The  lower  tab 
is  torn  off  at  a  perforated  line  and  after  being  properly 
filled  out  is  placed  on  a  peg  in  the  office  of  the  master 
mechanic.  There  is  a  large  board  for  this  purpose  con- 
taining pegs  properly  numbered  representing  each  valve 
in  the  plant.  The  tab  is  placed  on  the  proper  peg  and 
remains  in  this  conspicuous  position  as  long  as  the 
valve  is  closed.  When  the  valve  is  opened  both  the 
tag  and  tab  are  removed. 

This  plan  should  work  well  in  large  plants  where  there 
is  a  responsible  master  mechanic. 


294         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Drip  Valve  Tests.  Careful  tests  should  be  made  of 
water  supplies  at  -each  inspection  to  see  that  they  are 
not  deficient  in  volume  or  pressure.  In  the  case  of  water- 
works, this  can  often  be  determined  by  careful  flowing 
tests  on  hydrants  when  these  are  available.  In  other 
cases  a  careful  drip  valve  test  should  be  made.  Each 
sprinkler  system  should  have  a  2-inch  drip  pipe  and 
gage  located  on  the  riser  just  above  the  main  gate  valve. 
By  opening  this  drip  valve  wide  for  a  few  minutes  the 
drop  in  pressure  due  to  this  flowage  can  be  ascertained. 
This  drop  will  vary  a  good  deal  with  the  local  condi- 
tions, such  as  length  of  drip  pipe,  the  number  of  angles 
it  contains,  the  point  of  discharge  (whether  into  a  sewer 
pipe  or  not),  and  location  of  gage.  If  the  gage  is  lo- 
cated on  the  drip  pipe  it  will  show  an  apparent  excessive 
drop  owing  to  the  suction  action  of  the  water  flowing 
past.  The  gage  should  be  on  the  main  riser  about  a 
foot  above  the  drip  pipe. 

Unless  the  conditions  are  abnormal,  the  drop  in  pres- 
sure should  not  be  much  over  10  per  cent  and  if  it  is 
over  25  per  cent  it  is  safe  to  assume  that  either  the 
testing  conditions  are  not  normal,  the  supply  is  weak 
or  there  is  some  obstruction  in  the  pipes.  The  latter 
may  be  due  to  a  partially  closed  valve,  ice,  stones 
or  other  foreign  matter  which  may  get  into  the 
pipes. 

While  such  tests  may  not  be  absolutely  accurate  still 
they  give  a  good  method  of  judging  in  a  general  way 
the  value  of  the  water  supply  and  are  of  special  import- 
ance in  making  comparative  tests.  If  a  test  is  made 
when  the  system  is  first  installed  and  the  dr*$p  in  pre- 
sure  noted,  this  will  form  a  basis  for  future  compari- 
sons. If  at  any  time  the  drop  is  found  to  greatly  exceed 
the  previous  figure,  it  is  safe  to  conclude  that  the  pipes 
have  become  obstructed  by  a  partially  closed  valve, 
by  ice  or  by  some  other  foreign  matter.  Such  tests  are 


"  MAINTENANCE  AND  FIRE  RECORD  295 

of  especial  value  during  very  cold  snaps  when  under- 
ground pipes  are  liable  to  freeze. 

A  2-inch  pipe  has  about  the  same  capacity  as  16 
sprinkler  heads  and  this  test  will  give  a  rough  idea  of 
the  number  of  sprinklers  that  the  water  supply  is  capable 
of  feeding. 

Tanks  and  Pumps.  Tanks  should  be  examined  to  see 
that  they  are  full  and  the  contents  not  frozen.  A  care- 
ful watch  should  be  kept  upon  the  tank  and  its  supports 
to  see  that  they  are  not  deteriorating.  The  hoops  on 
a  wooden  tank  are  usually  the  first  part  to  give  way 
especially  if  they  be  flat  hoops,  which  usually  corrode 
on  the  inside  while  the  outside  is  often  apparently  sound. 

Pumps  should  be  started  at  each  inspection  and  tested 
to  full  capacity  at  least  once  a  year. 

Dry  Valves  and  Alarm  Valves.  Dry  systems  should 
be  examined  to  see  that  the  air  pressure  is  between  the 
proper  limits  and  that  there  is  no  water  above  the 
level  of  the  draw-off  pipe.  Dry  valves  should  be  exam- 
ined to  see  that  they  are  not  obstructed  and  the  regular 
tests  for  each  particular  type  should  be  made. 

Alarm  connections  on  both  dry  valves  and  alarm 
valves  should  be  tested;  the  electrical  connection  at  each 
inspection,  and  the  rotary  gong  at  least  twice  a  year. 

Sprinkler  Systems.  Inspectors  should  note  the  num- 
ber of  extra  sprinklers  on  hand.  The  rules  require  at 
least  six  and  in  large  plants  there  should  be  more. 
Care  should  be  taken  to  see  that  the  protection  has  not 
been  impaired  by  the  installation  of  partitions  or  shelves 
that  would  obstruct  the  distribution  from  the  sprink- 
lers. If  a  partition  is  not  installed  midway  between 
the  sprinkler  heads  on  each  side,  it  is  an  obstruction  to 
the  distribution.  The  remedy  is  to  move  the  partition 
or  to  install  additional  heads,  in  order  to  properly  cover 
the  area.  As  a  makeshift  remedy,  large  holes  are  some- 
times cut  in  the  partition  but  this  can  never  give  good 


296        AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

protection.  It  is,  however,  sometimes  possible  to  cut 
down  a  partition  several  feet  and  thus  get  satisfactory 
results. 

New  additions  should  be  equipped  with  sprinklers 
before  they  are  put  in  use.  New  shelves  and  platforms 
should  have  sprinklers  installed  below  them  or  if  not 
too  wide,  they  may  be  considered  satisfactory  if  set 
away  3  inches  from  walls. 

All  stock  storage  should  be  kept  at  least  two  feet 
below  the  ceiling  as  called  for  in  the  rules. 

Sprinkler  heads  and  piping  that  are  exposed  to  cold 
should  be  carefully  watched  so  as  to  prevent  freezing. 
This  applies  especially  to  heads  in  monitors,  entryways, 
near  large  doors,  in  attics  and  in  basements.  Some- 
times the  wrapping  of  the  pipe  in  insulating  felt  is 
sufficient  but  generally  the  only  safe  remedy  is  more 
heat. 

In  some  locations,  such  as  sugar  refineries,  flour  mills, 
etc.,  the  sprinklers  become  coated  with  dust  and  powder. 
A  careful  inspection  should  be  made  to  determine 
whether  or  not  this  affects  the  proper  operation  of  the 
head.  In  many  cases  dusting  the  head  is  all  that  is 
necessary  but  in  other  cases  a  thorough  cleaning  or  re- 
placing of  the  head  may  be  required. 

Sprinklers  are  often  carelessly  painted  or  white- 
washed when  a  room  is  being  redecorated  and  any  heads 
so  treated  should  be  replaced  or  thoroughly  cleaned. 
In  all  plants  where  acids  or  alkalies  are  used  and  also 
in  very  wet  locations,  the  sprinklers  are  subject  to  cor- 
rosion. An  expert  inspector  can  usually  tell  by  a  care- 
ful examination  whether  a  head  is  dangerously  corroded 
or  not.  If  any  doubt  exists,  about  one  dozen  should 
be  removed  for  test.  This  can  be  done  by  sending 
them  to  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  Inc.,  or  to  one 
of  the  Bureaus  owning  a  testing  oven.  If  found  de- 
fective they  should  be  replaced  at  once.  If  the  solder 


MAINTENANCE  AND  FIRE  RECORD 


297 


is  found  to  be  brittle  on  scraping  it  with  the  point  of  a 
knife  it  shows  that  it  has  crystallized  and  is  in  a  danger- 
ous condition. 

The  older  makes  of  sprinklers  should  be  carefully 
watched  for  the  effects  of  age.  While  some  types  will 
last  much  longer  than  others,  it  is  desirable  to  test 


LAMP 


SPRINKLER  TESTING  OVEN. 
As  used  by  the  Underwriters'  Bureau  of  New  England. 

samples  of  any  heads  that  have  been  in  use  over  twenty 
years,  at  intervals  of  two  years,  to  see  that  they  have 
not  deteriorated  to  a  point  where  they  can  no  longer  be 
considered  reliable. 

Tests  of   Sprinkler  Heads.     Several   field  tests  for 
automatic  sprinklers  have  been  suggested  but  it  is  not 


298         AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 


believed  that  these  are  usually  accurate  eriough  for  re- 
liable results.  The  general  practice  today  is  to  test 
heads  in  hot  air  ovens  where  the  conditions  will  resemble 
an  actual  fire  as  nearly  as  possible.  The  head  is  screwed 
into  a  fitting  connected  to  a  water  supply  which  is 
capable  of  giving  a  large  range  of  pressures.  It  is  not 
considered  advisable  to  test  a  head  under  air  pressure 
as  it  is  not  as  severe  a  test  as  one  with  water  in  the 
pipes  and  any  head  on  a  dry  system  is  liable  to  be  under 
water  pressure  when  it  operates.  It  is  desirable x  to 
start  the  test  under  a  light  pressure,  say  5  pounds,  as 
this  is  a  more  severe  test  than  if  the  pressure  were  higher. 
A  head  in  almost  any  equipment  may  be  called  upon  to 
operate  under  such  a  pressure,  in  case  a  large  number  of 
heads  have  already  opened  so  that  the  normal  pressure 
has  been  greatly  reduced. 

A  double  walled  or  jacketed  oven,  about  10  inches 
diameter  and  30  inches  high,  surrounds  the  head.  A 
gas  burner  is  placed  in  the  bottom,  the  flame  being  pro- 
tected from  water  that  may  issue  from  the  sprinklers 
by  a  metal  hood.  The  oven  is  adjusted  to  a  certain  rate 
of  heating  and  this  rate  should  be  accurately  maintained 
in  all  tests.  The  Underwriters'  Laboratories  use  the 
following : 


Time. 

Temperature. 

Minutes 

Degrees 

0 

100 

1 

150 

2 

190 

3 

218 

4 

235 

5 

250 

Above  this  about  10°  per  minute. 

MAINTENANCE  AND   FIRE  RECORD 


299 


The  Underwriters'  Bureau  of  New  England  formerly 
used  the  following  rate : 


jj  Time. 

Temperature. 

Minutes 

Degrees 

0 

100 

1 

275 

2 

350 

3 

390 

4 

415 

5 

430 

6 

440 

Under  these  conditions  a  new  clean  head  should  oper- 
ate in  1|  to  2J  minutes.  High  test  heads  should  oper- 
ate as  follows:  212  degrees  —  2.5  to  3.5  minutes;  286 
degrees  —  4  to  6  minutes.  If  the  head  does  not  operate 
in  4  to  5  minutes  the  pressure  is  raised  to  100  pounds 
or  until  it  operates.  When  one  test  has  been  completed 
the  oven  is  quickly  cooled  by  circulating  cold  water  in 
the  surrounding  jacket. 

Self  Inspection.  In  all  well-managed  plants  it  is  now 
generally  recognized  thai  self  inspection  of  fire  appli- 
ances is  necessary  if  these  expensive  and  complicated 
devices  are  to  be  kept  in  the  highest  state  of  efficiency. 
The  engineer  or  master  mechanic  is  usually  given  charge 
of  the  system  and  either  he  or  one  of  his  subordinates 
makes  regular  inspections.  For  the  best  results  the 
inspection  should  be  made  by  some  disinterested  em- 
ployee who  reports  in  writing  to  the  man  having  charge, 
in  whom  full  responsibility  is  vested.  In  some  of  the 
larger  plants  it  has  been  found  that  it  takes  practically 
all  of  one  man's  time  to  do  this  work  thoroughly  and  in 
several  plants  which  have  come  under  the  writer's  notice 
a  man,  often  called  a  fire  marshall,  is  hired  solely  for 
this  purpose. 

No  such  system  of  inspection  can  be  considered  en- 


300         AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

tirely  reliable  unless  a  report  blank  is  used.  On  this  is 
noted  the  matters  to  be  investigated  and  against  each 
item  the  inspector  notes  the  conditions  as  found.  The 
report,  duly  signed,  is  submitted  to  the  engineer  in 
charge  who  takes  note  of  any  repairs  that  may  be 
needed  and  then  forwards  it  to  the  superintendent  or 
manager.  After  he  has  looked  it  over  the  report  should 
be  filed  away  for  future  reference. 

The  Fire  Underwriters'  Uniformity  Association  has 
adopted  a  blank  for  this  purpose  which  will  be  found  in 
the  appendix. 

The  principal  items  relating  to  the  sprinkler  equip- 
ment are  as  follows: 

1.  Inside  valves.     Location  and  condition  of  each. 

2.  Outside  valves.     Location  and  condition  of  each. 

3.  Dry  systems.     Location  and  air  pressure.     Dry  valve  closet 
properly  heated.      List  of  systems  where  water  has  entered  and 
reason  therefor.     Hand  hole  plugs  in  place.     Flanged  dummy  in 
place. 

4.  Alarm  valves.     Condition  of  controlling  valve.     Condition  of 
alarm  connections. 

5.  Automatic    sprinklers.     Any    corroded,    bent,    whitewashed, 
painted,  dirty  or  obstructed.     Any  additions  needing  sprinklers. 
Any  extra  heads.     Also  the  condition  of  tanks,  pumps  and  other 
water  supplies. 

Inspections  should  be  made  once  a  week. 

FIRE  RECORD 

The  National  Fire  Protection  Association  has  kept  a 
careful  record  of  all  fires  in  risks  equipped  with  sprink- 
lers since  1897.  The  following  tables,  copied  from  the 
annual  summary  for  1918,  give  data  covering  ^2  years 
and  show  in  a  striking  manner  the  remarkable  efficiency 
of  the  automatic  sprinkler.  These  records  cover  20,097 
fires. 


MAINTENANCE  AND  FIRE  RECORD 


301 


TABLE   I 

Unsatisfactory  Sprinkler  Fires,  Giving  Reason  for  Unsatisfactory 

Results 


Number. 

Per  cent. 

Water  shut  off  sprinklers  

241 

26.9 

Defective  equipment  and   unsprinklered 
sections                        

204 

22.8 

Defective  water  supply     

85 

9.5 

System  crippled  by  freezing  

25 

2.8 

Slow-operating  or  defective  dry  valve  
Slow  or  defective  operation  of  high  test 
heads                               

19 
17 

2.1 
1.9 

Faulty  building  construction,  concealed 
spaces  vertical  openings  etc 

39 

4  4 

Obstruction  to  distribution  

54 

6.0 

Hazards  too  severe  for  average  sprinkler 
equipment  .       

44 

4.9 

Explosion  crippled  sprinkler  system  
Exposure  or  conflagration  

37 

63 

4.1 
7.1 

Plugged  heads  and  miscellaneous  

35 

3.9 

Not  classified 

32 

3  6 

TABLE  II 
Number  of  Sprinklers  Operating  in  Fires 


Number  of  heads. 

Number  of  fires. 

Per  cent. 

1    

6,234 

31  8 

2  or  less  

9,448 

48  2 

3  or  less  

11,437 

58  4 

4  or  less  

12,873 

65  7 

5  or  less 

13  796 

70  4 

10  or  less 

16212 

82  6 

20  or  less 

17768 

90  6 

30  or  less    . 

18351 

93  6 

40  or  less   . 

18623 

95  0 

50  or  less  

18796 

95  9 

75  or  less  

19034 

97  1 

100  or  less  

19,149 

97  7 

Over  100  

441 

2  3 

302         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


TABLE  III 
Effect  of  Sprinklers 


Number. 

Per  cent. 

Practically  or  entirely  extinguished  fire.  .  . 
Held  fire  in  check  . 

13,103 
6  099 

65.20 
30  35 

Total  successful  

19  202 

95  55 

Total  unsuccessful  

895 

4  45 

TABLE  IV 
Efficiency  of  Alarm  Service,  1897-1918 


Satisfactory. 

Failure. 

Total. 

No.  of 
fires. 

'Per 
cent. 

No.  of 
fires. 

Per 

cent. 

Watchmen  alone 

1559 
1734 
182 

89.7 
93.8 
79.1 

179 
115 

48 

10.3 
6.2 
20.9 

1738 
1849 
230 

Sprinkler  alarm  alone  

Thermostats  alone  

It  will  be  noted  that  sprinkler  systems  failed  in  less 
than  5  per  cent  of  the  fires. 

It  is  also  interesting  to  note  that  sprinkler  alarm  valves 
failed  in  only  6  per  cent  of  the  fires  where  they  should 
have  operated.  Watchmen  failed  to  discover  the  fire 
in  10.3  per  cent  of  the  cases  and  thermostats  in  21  per 
cent. 

IMPORTANT  FIRES 

List  of  a  few  of  the  larger  fires  in  risks  equipped  with  auto- 
matic sprinklers. 

While  over  95  per  cent  of  the  fires  in  sprinklered  risks 
were  successfully  controlled  by  the  sprinkler  equipment, 
there  have  been  some  very  serious  losses  in  the  remaining 
5  per  cent.  A  few  of  the  more  important  of  these  fires 
with  the  reason  therefor  are  of  interest. 


MAINTENANCE  AND   FIRE   RECORD  303 

1893.     Brown  Durrell  &  Co.,  Essex  St.,  Boston. 

This  building  was  thoroughly  equipped  with  sprink- 
lers and  was  attacked  by  a  fierce  exposure  fire.  Fire 
entered  through  some  of  the  upper  windows  where 
shutters  were  apparently  open.  The  upper  floors  were 
gutted,  the  gravity  tank  on  the  roof  fell  and  the  main 
riser  was  broken  off  at  the  fifth  floor.  Nevertheless, 
the  sprinklers  saved  the  building  from  complete  destruc- 
tion and  prevented  the  spread  of  the  conflagration. 

1895.     Warren  Manufacturing  Co.,  Warren,  R.  I. 

This  -was  a  large  brick  cotton  mill  of  good  construc- 
tion and  well  equipped  with  sprinklers  except  in  the 
engine  room.  The  contract  had  already  been  let  for 
equipping  this  section.  Fire  started  in  the  unsprinklered 
engine  room  and  soon  gained  such  headway  that  when 
H  spread  to  the  sprinklered  mill  it  was  beyond  control. 

Main  buildings  were  destroyed  with  a  loss  of  $930,000. 
1900.  Porter  Screen  Co.,  Winooski,  Vt. 

This  was  a  frame  woodworking  plant  consisting  of 
several  buildings  well  equipped  with  sprinklers.  Screen 
doors  were  varnished  by  dipping  them  in  a  large  dip  tank 
located  in  a  room  well  partitioned  off.  The  varnish  was 
thinned  with  naphtha. 

Fire  occurred  in  the  dip  tank,  due  to  the  igniting  of 
the  naphtha  fumes  by  a  broken  electric  lamp.  This 
tank  was  not  supplied  with  an  overflow  pipe  or  an  auto- 
matic cover.  The  sprinklers  opened  promptly  and 
threw  water  into  the  burning  tank.  The  varnish  being 
lighter  than  the  water  soon  overflowed  and  flooded  the 
floor  of  this  and  the  adjoining  room.  As  water  had 
practically  no  effect  on  the  burning  varnish  the  building 
was  destroyed.  Loss  $68,000. 
1902.  Estes  Press  Building,  Boston. 

This  was  a  brick  building  of  mill  construction  used 
for  printing  and  publishing.  A  fire  occurred  and  was 
successfully  held  by  the  sprinklers.  The  fire  depart- 


304         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

ment,  thinking  the  fire  was  entirely  out,  shut  off  the 
system.     The  fire,  however,  had  not  been  completely 
extinguished  and  broke  out  with  such  fierceness  that 
the  building  was  gutted.     Loss  $200,000. 
December,  1903.    Sterling  Comb  Co.,  Leominster,  Mass. 

This  was  a  well  built  brick  building  of  mill  construc- 
tion used  for  the  manufacture  of  celluloid  combs.  It 
was  equipped  with  a  good  sprinkler  equipment  fed  by 
town  water  under  heavy  pressure  and  a  gravity  tank 
located  on  the  roof. 

Fire  started  in  the  stock  room,  probably  due  to  cellu- 
loid on  steam  pipes.  There  were  about  19  tons  of  sheet 
celluloid  stock  stored  in  bulk  near  where  the  fire  started. 
This  caught  fire  and  the  sprinklers  had  little  or  no  effect 
upon  the  blaze. 

The  building  was  practically  destroyed  with  a  loss  of 
$65,000. 

It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  a  fire  in  a  large  bulk  of 
this  material  is  practically  uncontrollable. 
March,  1905.     R.  B.  Grover  &  Co.,  Brockton,  Mass. 

This  was  a  large  frame  joisted  shoe  factory  with  brick 
boiler  house  adjoining.  A  boiler  exploded  wrecking  part 
of  the  building  and  breaking  many  of  the  sprinkler  pipes. 
Fire  ensued  and  completely  destroyed  the  building. 
There  was  a  large  loss  of  life  and  an  insurance  loss  of 
$226,000. 

1906.  Baltimore  Conflagration. 

This  fire  was  held  at  one  point  largely  on  account  of 
the  O'Neill  Department  store  which  was  equipped  with 
sprinklers.  A  few  heads  in  the  blind  attic  opened  and 
the  open  sprinklers  on  the  windows  were  us^-d.  All 
buildings  on  the  exposed  side  were  destroyed  but  the 
store  was  open  for  business  two  days  after  the  fire. 

1907.  Cocheco  Manufacturing  Co.,  Dover,  N.H. 

This  was  a  large  brick  cotton  mill  of  plank  and  tim- 
ber construction,  the  timbers  being  double  with  a  small 


MAINTENANCE  AND  FIRE  RECORD 


305 


306          AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

space  between.  Fire  started  when  the  sprinkler  system 
was  temporarily  shut  off  for  repairs.  The  sprinkler 
valve  was  opened  but  not  till  the  fire  had  gained  such 
headway  as  to  be  beyond  control.  The  loss  was  con- 
siderably increased  by  the  difficulty  of  extinguishing 
the  fire  which  worked  into  the  space  between  the  double 
timbers.  Loss  $480,000. 
1907.  Shove  Mills,  Fall  River,  Mass. 

Cotton  Mill.     Fire  started  in  engine  room  and  spread 
rapidly  to  all  floors  through  large  combustible  beltways. 
Loss  $131,000. 
1907.     Phelps  Publishing  Co.,  Springfield,  Mass. 

Large  publishing  house  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  Fire 
occurred  at  night  and  was  controlled  but  not  entirely 
extinguished  by  the  sprinklers.  The  watchman,  think- 
ing the  fire  out,  closed  the  valve  and  then  telephoned 
the  superintendent  for  instructions.  While  he  was  tele- 
phoning the  fire  broke  out  again  and  the  building  was 
destroyed.  Loss  $535,111. 

1909.  A.  B.  Clark,  Peabody,  Mass. 

Large  frame  tannery  of  light  joisted  construction. 
Sprinkler  system  was  shut  off  through  carelessness  in 
the  section  where  fire  started.  Main  building  was  de- 
stroyed with  a  loss  of  $312,000. 

1910.  Worcester  Bleach  &  Dye  Works,  Worcester,  Mass. 
Buildings   of   frame   joisted   construction.     Sprinkler 

system  subject  to  corrosion  and  several  sprinklers  had 
broken  open  from  this  cause.  Fire  occurred  at  night 
and  the  watchman  heard  water  running  from  a  sprinkler. 
He  closed  main  valve  before  investigating,  thinking  it 
was  a  sprinkler  leak.  Loss  $81,000. 
1910.  Herald  Co.,  Ltd.,  Montreal. 

Newspaper  Publishing  Plant.  Brick  building,  six  sto- 
ries high  located  in  heart  of  city.  There  was  a  12,000- 
gallon  gravity  tank  17  feet  above  the  roof,  supported  on 
a  steel  trestle.  At  11  A.M.  when  the  plant  was  in  full 


MAINTENANCE  AND  FIRE  RECORD  307 

operation  the  building  suddenly  collapsed  due  probably 
to  overloading  of  the  floors.  The  weight  of  the  gravity 
tank  may  have  had  something  to  do  with  this  overload- 
ing as  the  walls  were  not  originally  designed  to  support 
such  a  weight.  The  collapse  crippled  the  sprinkler  sys- 
tem and  fire  ensued  probably  from  stereotype  furnaces. 
Several  persons  lost  their  lives  and  the  monetary  loss 
was  nearly  $200,000. 
191 1.  Converse  Rubber  Shoe  Co.,  Maiden,  Mass. 

Fire  started  from  unknown  cause  in  two  story  frame 
building  used  largely  as  a  store  house.  Sprinkler  sys- 
tem failed  due  probably  to  freezing  of  the  riser  in  un- 
heated  basement,  or  at  alarm  valve  which  was  near  a 
window.  Loss  $268,000. 
191 1.  Delohery  Hat  Co.,  D anbury,  Conn. 

Frame  hat  factory  of  poor  construction.  Fire  prob- 
ably started  in  driers.  Sprinklers  failed  to  hold  fire  on 
account  of  construction  and  defective  (Walworth)  sprink- 
lers. Many  sprinklers  were  found  after  fire  with  the 
copper  washer  stuck  to  the  valve  seat.  Loss  $45,000. 

1911.  Allis-Chambers- Bullock,  Ltd.,  Lachine  Locks,  P. 
Q.,  Canada. 

Two  story  brick  building  with  plank  roof  on  steel 
truss.  A  large  300, 000- volt  testing  transformer  was 
filled  with  oil  and  heated  outside  the  building.  Fires 
were  drawn  from  under  the  transformer  and  it  was 
brought  into  the  building.  The  oil  was  ignited  by  a 
spark  from  the  fire  and  caused  a  fire  which  sprinklers 
could  not  entirely  control.  157  sprinklers  opened.  Loss 
$112,416. 

1912.  Rockingham  Paper  Co.,  Bellows  Falls,  Vt. 

A  three  story  brick  paper  mill  largely  of  mill  construc- 
tion. Part  of  top  floor  was  supported  from  roof  trusses 
by  iron  tie  rods.  There  was  a  large  amount  of  rag 
storage  on  this  floor.  Fire  started  in  an  unsprinklered 
section  and  hose  streams  were  used.  Part  of  building 


308         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

collapsed  probably  due  to  weight  of  water  soaked  up  by 
the  rags.  This  crippled  the  sprinkler  system  and  the 
plant  was  practically  destroyed.  Loss  $52,000. 

March,  1913.     Champion  Coated  Paper  Co.,   Hamilton, 

Ohio. 

Large  modern  buildings  well  constructed  and  pro- 
tected. Waterworks  system  was  put  out  of  commission 
by  a  disastrous  flood.  The  rising  water  set  fire  to  the 
building  by  coming  in  contact  with  quicklime.  The 
steam  pump  could  not  be  started  until  flood  receded 
as  boiler  fires  had  been  extinguished.  Boilers  finally 
started  with  rosin  and  pump  was  operated  under  water. 
Hose  streams  from  pump  saved  part  of  plant.  Loss 
over  $600,000. 

January,  1914.  Manufacturers'  Building,  Providence, 
R.  I. 

This  was  a  large  6-story  brick  building  used  as  a  tenant 
jewelry  factory. 

Fire  was  discovered  'at  4.30  A.M.  by  the  watchman 
but  sprinklers  failed  to  hold  it.  It  was  found  afterwards 
that  some  of  the  heads  had  frozen.  Building  was  dam- 
aged to  the  extent  of  $92,130,  largely  by  water. 

March,  1915.     Woodbury  Shoe  Co.,  Derry,  N.  H. 

This  was  a  3-story  frame  shoe  factory.  Fire  occurred 
at  5.30  A.M.,  starting  in  boiler  room  in  a  pile  of  wood 
waste  from  a  nearby  woodworker.  Watchman  thought 
fire  was  out  and  shut  off  sprinklers  by  valve  in  main 
building.  Fire  spread  to  main  building  before  valve 
could  be  opened.  Loss  $103,000. 

April,  1917.     Dana  S.  Courtney,  Chicopee,  Mass. 

This  was  a  frame  bobbin  and  shuttle  factory  of  in- 
ferior construction.  Fire  started  in  dry  room  and  spread 
rapidly  on  account  of  some  sprinklers  being  shut  off  for 
repairs  and  also  because  of  high  test  heads  and  dry 
system.  Loss  $133,900. 


MAINTENANCE  AND  FIRE  RECORD  309 

October,  1917.     Panther  Rubber  Co.,  Stoughton,  Mass. 

Frame  rubber  heel  factory  of  inferior  construction. 
Spontaneous  heating  of  stock  in  drier  opened  sprinkler 
outside  dry  room.  Watchman  shut  off  equipment  with- 
out thoroughly  investigating.  Fire  spread  while  sprink- 
lers were  shut  off  and  destroyed  plant.  Loss  $261,096. 
Also  $52,500  U.  &  0. 


CHAPTER  XI 
SPRINKLER  LEAKAGE 

THE  subject  of  sprinkler  leakage  has  of  recent  years 
become  one  of  considerable  importance,  not  because  of 
any  increase  in  the  loss  from  leaking  sprinklers  but  from 
the  extension  of  sprinkler  protection  to  a  large  number 
of  plants  in  which  the  contents  are  extremely  suscep- 
tible to  water  damage,  and  also  because  of  the  extensive 
advertising  that  this  form  of  insurance  has  received. 
A  large  number  of  fire,  as  well  as  casualty,  companies 
have  recently  taken  up  sprinkler  leakage  insurance  and 
have  been  making  a  strong  effort  to  secure  business. 

In  most  states  the  laws  require  that  sprinkler  leakage 
indemnity  be  written  under  a  separate  policy  from  that 
of  fire  insurance,  but  in  certain  cases  it  is  covered  by 
the  same  policy.  Keen  competition  and  a  large  increase 
in  the  business  have  led  during  the  past  few  years  to  a 
considerable  lowering  of  rates. 

Leaking  sprinklers  and  those  that  open  prematurely, 
owing  to  defects  in  construction,  are  responsible  for  a 
very  small  proportion  of  the  total  losses,  as  modern 
sprinklers  very  rarely  cause  damage  in  this  way.  Losses 
are  more  apt  to  be  due  to  trouble  in  other  parts  of  the 
system  as  there  is  always  a  large  amount  of  piping  and 
fittings  constantly  under  heavy  pressure,  in  addition  to 
any  tanks  that  may  be  connected  to  the  system. 

In  practice  the  most  common  cause  of  loss  is  freezing. 
This  is  most  likely  to  occur  during  cold  snaps  that 
come  on  Sundays  and  Holidays,  and  in  buildings  that 
are  left  unguarded  at  such  times.  In  some  cases  the 

310 


SPRINKLER  LEAKAGE  311 

trouble  has  been  due  to  leaving  some  part  of  a  building 
improperly  protected  against  the  weather,  during  re- 
pairs. Sprinkler  heads  and  small  piping  located  near 
doors  or  windows  and  in  monitors  are  especially  subject 
to  freezing.  Risers  or  pipes  in  unheated  basements  and 
low  spaces  under  buildings,  also  pipes  running  from  one 
building  to  another,  have  frequently  caused  trouble 
from  not  being  properly  boxed.  Freezing  is  more  likely 
to  occur  in  plants  having  no  watchman  than  in  those 
where  there  is  some  one  on  duty  at  all  times. 

Perhaps  the  next  most  important  cause  for  loss  is  the 
deterioration  of  the  system  from  age,  poor  care  or  corro- 
sion. Some  of  the  older  makes  of  sprinkler  heads  give 
trouble  from  the  effects  of  age,  and  break  open  owing 
to  weakness  of  the  solder  joint.  This  is  especially  the 
case  in  places  where  the  water  pressure  is  high  and 
subject  to  great  fluctuations.  Certain  sprinklers  are 
recognized  as  being  defective  and  liable  to  open  under 
constant  strain.  Amongst  those  are  the  Walworth 
single  link  heads,  the  Grinnell  metal  disc  sprinklers,  the 
International  type  A  (narrow  link)  and  the  Rockwood 
type  A.  None  of  these  heads  are  now  being  installed 
and  most  of  them  have  already  been  replaced.  The 
cracking  of  the  glass  discs  in  the  Grinnell  sprinklers 
installed  between  1890  and  1896,  before  the  annealed 
glass  was  used,  has  also  caused  some  sprinkler  leakage 
losses. 

Many  losses  have  been  occasioned  by  tanks,  especially 
wooden  gravity  tanks  with  flat  hoops.  These  hoops  are 
very  susceptible  to  corrosion  and  if  this  is  allowed  to  go 
far  enough  it  will  result  in  the  collapse  of  the  tank. 
Many  tanks  have  fallen  owing  to  the  weakening  of  the 
supports.  This  may  be  due  to  rotting  of  wooden  beams 
under  the  tank  or  to  corrosion  of  the  steel  trestle.  A  few 
bad  accidents  have  occurred  from  the  settling  or  crack- 
ing of  a  brick  wall  supporting  a  tank.  Pressure  tanks 


312 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


have  also  given  some  trouble  by  settling,  on  account  of 
improper  support.  This  generally  results  in  the  break- 
ing of  some  fitting  in  the  discharge  pipe. 

Sprinkler  piping  has  been  broken  by  the  settling  of  a 
building  due  to  inadequate  foundations  or  poor  work- 
manship. Breaking  belts  have  been  the  cause  of  many 


"INTERNATIONAL"  SPRINKLER 

Closed,  with  Guard  Attachment] 

losses.  Any  belt  running  close  to  a  sprinkler  pipe  of 
small  size  is  a  source  of  danger  and  those  encircling  a 
pipe  are  particularly  bad  as  they  are  almost  sure  to  in- 
jure the  piping  if  they  break.  Sprinkler  heads  or  small 
pipes  are  occasionally  broken  by  careless  handling  of 
stock,  as,  for  instance,  by  throwing  shoe  lasts  into  bins. 
Pendent  heads  are  much  more  likely  to  be  injured  in 


SPRINKLER  LEAKAGE  313 

this  way  than  upright  heads.  Sprinklers  thus  exposed 
should  be  protected  by  metal  guards. 

Sprinklers  have  sometimes  been  opened  by  the  focusing 
of  the  sun's  rays  upon  them  through  the  thick  glass  of  a 
skylight.  This  is  more  apt  to  occur  where  there  is  a  cur- 
tain under  the  sprinklers  which  tends  to  confine  the  heat. 

Sprinklers  of  too  low  a  fusing  point  are  sometimes 
installed  in  hot  places  like  boiler  rooms  and  later  open 
from  the  long-continued  strain  under  too  high  a  tempera- 
ture. Even  more  common  is  the  opening  of  sprinklers 
owing  to  the  introduction  of  some  hot  process  into  a 
room  where  the  heads  were  not  installed  with  this  in 
view.  Frequently  a  muffler  or  some  form  of  drying 
machine  is  installed  without  changing  the  sprinklers  for 
those  of  a  higher  test  and  as  a  result,  some  of  the  heads 
have  fused. 

Sprinkler  piping  has  sometimes  been  ruptured  owing 
to  an  insufficient  number,  or  to  poor  quality,  of  hang- 
ers, or  to  defects  in  the  supports  to  which  they  are 
fastened. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  important  points  that 
should  be  investigated  in  inspecting  a  plant  for  sprinkler 
leakage  insurance. 

.      SPRINKLER  LEAKAGE  REPORT 

Occupancy.     (Sprinkled  portions  only.)     Raw  stock;  is 
Goods  mfrd 

Contents  comprising  at  least  33%  of  total  value  consist  of 
Greatest  value  consists  of 

located 

Stock,  goods,  skidded  in  Piled  too  high 

Values  in  basements  light,  moderate 

considerable  large. 

Occupancy.     (Full  details.)    Sub-basement 

Basement  First  Second  Third 

Fourth  Fifth 


314         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 

Construction.     General  type.  Repair 

No  serious  settling. 
Floors.     Reinforced  Concrete;  flat  terra  cotta  arches  on  steel, 

in.  plank  on  timber  with 

top  floor  boards;  single,  double  boards  on  joists. 
Tarred,  plain,  paper  under  top  floor. 
Joints  around  walls,  posts,  pipes  fairly,  not,  water  tight. 
Curbed 

Other  floor  openings 
Total  thickness  of  floors 
Water  proofing   (especiaUy  if  fire  proof)  poor,  indif.,  fair,  good 

by  Floors  inclined. 

Water  could  drain  to  scuppers,  stairways,  elevators,  and  thence 

to 

Bmt.  below  grade  on  all  sides.     No  drain.     Drains  to 
Sprinklered  concealed  spaces,  blind  attic  in 

Not,  Properly  heated. 
Sheathing  (kind)  on         %  of  walls. 

on         %  of  ceilings  below  sprinklers. 
Finish.     (Give   full   details,  noting   especially   highly  decorated 

rooms.) 

Alarm  Service.     (Sprinkler)  Watchman;  No. 

covers  all  sprinklered  rooms  except 
Rounds  from  to  Clock  (type) 

Alarm  Valve  (Type) ;  covers  all  sprinklers. 

Conn,  to  motor  gong  and  elect,  bells  in 
Amount  of  exposed  piping  back  of  alarm  valve 
Sprinkler  supervisory;  A.  D.  T.  Conn,  to  Cent.  Sta.  in 
Covers 

Sprinkler  System.     Water  Supplies;  High  and  low  public  water. 
Gravity,  Pressure  tank.  gal.  Fire  pump. 

Primary  supply  from  Pressure  Ibs.     On  top  line 

Ibs.         Press,  constant.     Subject  to  water  hammer. 
Wet  system.     Dry  system.  %  wet,  %  dry  system. 

Piping  installed  in  Sprs.  in 

Types  of  Sprinkler  (%  each) 

Approx.  sprinklers  in  risk.         %  Upright.  %  Pendent. 

System  practically  complete.     Portions  not  spkld. 
Care  of  system 

Dry  pipe  system  throughout.     Covers 

(No.)   (Type)  dry  valves;  property  heated,  by 

All  pipes  drain  back  to  dry  valve  except 

which  are  drained  by 
Care  of  system 


SPRINKLER  LEAKAGE  315 

Pipe  System.     Joints  between  cast  and  steel  pipe 

properly    strapped.     Not,    leaky.     Main   pipe    to    riser   buried, 

overhead. 
Hangers,   good,   fair,   poor  type;  well  screwed,  nailed  up. 

More  needed.     Some,  no,  bushed  fittings. 
Main  to  riser  well  supported.     Hangers  in  fire  proof 

floors  fastened  by  (give  details) 

Valves.     Main  valves  outside,  well  located;   not  readily  accessible, 

obstructed  in 

Necessary  to  close  two  valves  to  shut  off  sprinklers. 
Valves  on  each  riser  in  bmt.  1st.  each  floor.     Test  pipe  cannot 

cause  damage. 

Drip  valves  well  arranged;  drain  to 

Drips  sealed  by  city. 

Tank.     Gravity,  pressure,  wood,  steel  gals,  capacity; 

Age,  located  over,  inside  building.  ft.  above. 

On  ft.  steel,  wood,  trestle;  located  on  ft.  from 

bldg.     Cond.  of  trestle,  e.  g.  f .  i.  p.  Footings, 

e.  g.  f.  i.  p. 
Supported  from  ground  on  brick,  wood  walls; 

in.  thick,  on  columns  in  e.  g.  f.  i.  p.  condition. 

Condition  of  tank  e.  g.  f.  i.  p.     Hoops  round,  flat,  ample.     Cond. 

e.  g.  f.  i.  p.     Corroded 

Pipe  from  tank  properly  braced;  supported  by 

No,  Provision  for  expansion  by  expansion  joint,  two  elbows,  slip 

joint  at  tank  bottom. 

Overflow  well  arranged;  discharges  to 

Protection  from  freezing,  good,  fair,  indif.,  poor  (see  above). 

Liability  to  Breakage.  Piping,  Sprinklers:  none,  slight,  consider- 
able, from  poor  supports,  corrosion,  belts,  stock  piling,  defec- 
tive heads. 

Pendent  sprinklers  subject  to  injury  in 

Sprinklers  guarded  where  necessary. 

High  test  sprinklers  where  needed.  Low  test  heads  .too 

near  steam  coils,  liable  to  overheating  in 

Liability  to  Freezing.     None,  slight,  considerable  in 

Buildings  are  heated  by  steam;   hot  water;   hot  air;   pipes  over- 
head, at  sides.     Sprinklered  blind  spaces 
properly  heated  by 


316         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Heating,  none,  inadequate,  unreliable,  doubtful  in  (spkld. 

rooms  only). 

Building  not  tight  at  eaves,  walls,  Pipe  entering  build- 

ing, Riser  not  properly  protected. 

Heating  plant  outside,  at  risk.  Fireman  maintained  nights,  Sun- 
days and  holidays.  Boiler  feed  safely  arranged.  Ample  coal 
supply. 

Dry  valve  not,  properly  heated.  Dry  pipes  do  not  drain.  More 
drips  needed. 

System  not  kept,  found,  free  of  water. 

Necessary  to  shut  off  sprinklers  in  winter  in 

Cold  weather  valves  located  in  warm  places.  Drain 

adequate;  open.  Pipes  are  free  from  water;  good  condition. 
No.  vacant  rooms. 

Note.    This  is  a  scratch  blank  and  the  items  which  apply  are 
scratched. 
Abbreviations:  —  e,  excellent;  g,  good;  /,  fair;  i,  indifferent;  p,  poor. 

FORM   OF  SPRINKLER  LEAKAGE  INSURANCE  POLICY 
IN  GENERAL  USE 

THE INSURANCE  CO. 

3fa  ConStberatton  of  tfje  fEermg  anb  ^>tipu= 
lattonS  fjeretn  nameb 

and  of Dollars  Premium 

Does  insure '. 

for  the  term  of 

from  the day  of. 19 . .  t . ,  at  noon, 

VHIp 

to  the day  of 19 ,  at  noon, 

standard  time  at  the  place  where  the  property  herein  described  is  located, 
against  all  direct  loss  or  damage  by  sprinkler  leakage,  except  as  herein- 
after provided,  to  an  amount  not  exceeding 

Dollars, 


SPRINKLER  LEAKAGE  317 

to  the  following  described  property  while  located  and  contained  as  de- 
scribed herein,  and  not  elsewhere,  to  wit 


Subject  to  the  following  stipulations  and  conditions: 

Wherever  in  this  policy  the  word  "  insured  "  occurs,  it  shall  be 
held  to  include  the  legal  representatives  of  the  insured;  wherever  the 
word  "  loss  "  occurs,  -it  shall  be  deemed  the  equivalent  of  "  loss  or 
damage;  "  wherever  the  term  "  sprinkler  leakage  "  occurs,  it  shall 
be  held  to  mean  leakage,  discharge  or  precipitation  of  water  from 
the  automatic  sprinkler  system,  or  tanks  supplying  it  (including 
accident  caused  by  freezing),  in  or  on  the  buildings  now  erected  and 
described  herein,  whether  the  accident  occurs  in  the  portion  occupied 
by  the  insured  or  not. 

This  company  shall  not  be  liable  for  loss  by  fire,  however  caused; 
nor  for  loss  resulting  from  the  leakage  of  water,  if  such  leakage  is 
caused  directly  or  indirectly  by  fire;  nor  for  loss  due  to  stoppage  or 
interruption  of  any  work  or  plant  unless  liability  for  such  loss  is 
specifically  assumed  herein;  nor  for  loss  caused  by  lightning  (whether 
fire  ensues  or  not),  cyclone,  tornado,  wind-storm,  earthquake,  ex- 
plosion, or  blasting;  nor  for  loss  caused  directly  or  indirectly  by 
invasion,  insurrection,  riot,  civil  war  or  commotion,  or  military,  or 
usurped  power,  or  by  order  of  any  civil  authority;  nor  for  loss  by 
theft;  nor  for  loss  caused  directly  or  indirectly  by  the  neglect  of  the 
insured  to  use  all  reasonable  means  at  the  time  of  an  accident  to 
save  and  preserve  the  property;  nor  for  loss  caused  directly  or  indi- 
rectly by  the  fall  or  collapse  of  any  building  or  any  part  thereof, 
unless  such  fall  or  collapse  is  caused  by  the  accidental  leakage  of 
water  from  the  automatic  sprinkler  system,  or  the  tanks  supplying  it. 

This  company  shall  not  be  liable  for  loss  to  accounts,  bills,  cur- 
rency, deeds,  evidences  of  debt,  money,  notes  or  securities;  nor  to 
an  amount  exceeding  ten  per  cent  of  this  policy  for  loss  to  patterns, 
models,  plans  and  lasts,  unless  liability  is  specifically  assumed 
thereon  for  a  stated  amount  under  a  separate  item  mentioning  no 
other  kinds  of  property. 

This  company  shall  not  be  liable  beyond  the  actual  cash  value  of 
the  property  at  the  time  any  loss  occurs,  and  the  loss  shall  be  ascer- 
tained or  estimated  according  to  such  actual  cash  value,  with  proper 


318         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

deduction  for  depreciation  however  caused;  and  shall  in  no  event 
exceed  what  it  would  then  cost  the  insured  to  repair  or  replace  the 
same  with  material  of  like  kind  and  quality;  said  ascertainment  or 
estimate  shall  be  made  by  the  insured  and  this  company,  or,  if  they 
differ,  then  by  appraisers,  as -hereinafter  provided;  and,  the  amount 
of  loss  having  be'en  thus  determined,  the  sum  for  which  this  company 
is  liable  pursuant  to  this  policy  shall  be  payable  sixty  days  after 
due  notice,  ascertainment,  estimate  (including  an  award  by  apprais- 
ers when  appraisal  has  been  required),  and  satisfactory  proof  of  the 
loss  have  been  received  by  this  company  in  accordance  with  the 
terms  of  this  policy.  It  shall  be  optional,  however,  with  this  com- 
pany to  take  all,  or  any  part,  of  the  articles  at  such  ascertained  or 
appraised  value,  and  also  to  repair,  rebuild  or  replace  the  property 
lost  or  damaged  with  other  of  like  kind  and  quality  within  a  reason- 
able time  on  giving  notice,  within  thirty  days  after  the  receipt  of 
the  proof  herein  required,  of  its  intention  so  to  do;  but  there  can  be 
no  abandonment  to  this  company  of  the  property  described. 

Ordinary  minor  repairs  and  alterations  usual  and  necessary  to  the 
care  and  maintenance  of  the  automatic  sprinkler  system,  building 
or  premises  are  allowed,  but  this  company  shall  not  be  liable  for  any 
loss  resulting  from  unusual  repairs  or  extensions  to  or  alterations  in 
the  automatic  sprinkler  system,  the  buildings,  or  the  premises, 
unless  otherwise  provided  by  agreement  endorsed  hereon  or  added 
hereto. 

This  policy  shall  be  void  if  the  property  described  herein  is  sold 
<j,s  a  whole,  or  this  policy  assigned,  without  the  written  consent  of 
this  company  endorsed  hereon,  or  if  the  insured  has  concealed  or 
misrepresented  any  material  fact  or  circumstance,  concerning  this 
insurance  or  the  subject  thereof.  If  a  building  herein  described  be 
or  become  vacant  or  unoccupied,  all  liability  thereon  under  this 
policy  shall  immediately  cease,  unless  otherwise  provided  by  agree- 
ment endorsed  hereon  or  added  hereto. 

In  the  event  of  loss  covered  by  this  policy,  the  insured  shall  give 
immediate  notice  thereof  in  writing  to  this  company,  protect  the 
property  from  further  damage,  forthwith  separate  the  damaged  and 
undamaged  personal  property,  put  it  in  the  best  possible  order, 
make  a  complete  inventory  of  the  same,  stating  the  quantity  and 
cost  of  each  article  and  the  amount  claimed  thereon ;  and  within  sixty 
days  after  the  date  of  the  leakage,  unless  such  time  is  extended  in 
writing  by  this  company,  shall  render  a  statement  to  this  company, 
signed  and  sworn  to  by  the  said  insured,  stating  the  knowledge  and 
belief  of  the  insured  as  to  the  time  and  cause  of  the  leakage;  the 
interest  of  the  insured  and  of  all  others  in  the  property;  the  cash 


SPRINKLER  LEAKAGE  319 

value  of  each  item  thereof  and  the  amount  of  loss  thereon;  all  en- 
cumbrances thereon;  all  other  similar  insurance,  whether  valid1  or 
not,  covering  any  of  said  property. 

The  insured,  as  often  as  required,  shall  exhibit  to  any  person 
designated  by  this  company  all  that  remains  of  any  property  herein 
described,  also  specifications  of  the  buildings,  machinery  or  fixtures, 
destroyed,  damaged  or  injured,  and  submit  to  examinations  under 
oath  by  any  person  named  by  this  company,  and  subscribe  the  same; 
and,  as  often  as  required,  shall  produce  for  examination  all  books  of 
account,  bills,  invoices,  and  other  vouchers,  or  certified  copies 
thereof  if  originals  be  lost,  at  such  reasonable  place  as  may  be  desig- 
nated by  this  company  or  its  representative,  and  shall  permit  ex- 
tracts and  copies  thereof  to  be  made. 

In  the  event  of  disagreement  as  to  the  amount  of  loss  the  same 
shall,  as  above  provided,  be  ascertained  by  two  competent  and  dis- 
interested appraisers,  the  insured  and  this  company  each  selecting 
one,  and  the  two  so  chosen  shall  first  select  a  competent  and  disin- 
terested umpire;  if  no  umpire  be  selected  within  fifteen  days  after 
the  selection  of  appraisers,  their  power  and  authority  shall  cease 
and  new  appraisers  shall  be  selected  in  the  manner  herein  provided. 
After  having  chosen  an  umpire,  the  appraisers  together  shall  then 
estimate  and  appraise  the  loss,  stating  separately  sound  value  and 
damage,  and,  failing  to  agree,  shall  submit  their  differences  to  the 
umpire;  and  the  award  in  writing  of  any  two  shall  determine  the 
amount  of  such  loss;  the  parties  thereto  shall  pay  the  appraiser  re- 
spectively selected  by  them  and  shall  bear  equally  the  expenses  of 
the  appraisal  and  umpire. 

This  company  shall  not  be  held  to  have  waived  any  provision  or 
condition  of  this  policy  or  any  forfeiture  thereof  by  any  requirement, 
act  or  proceeding  on  its  part  relating  to  the  appraisal  or  to  any  ex- 
amination herein  provided  for. 

This  company  shall  not  be  liable  under  this  policy  for  a  greater 
proportion  of  any  loss  on  the  described  property  than  the  amount 
hereby  insured  shall  bear  to  the  whole  insurance,  whether  valid  or 
not)  or  by  solvent  or  insolvent  insurers,  covering  such  property,  and 
the  extent  of  the  application  of  the  insurance  under  this  policy  or 
of  the  contribution  to  be  made  by  this  company  in  case  of  loss,  may 
be  provided  for  by  agreement  or  condition  written  hereon  or  attached 
or  appended  hereto.  Liability  for  reinsurance  shall  be  as  specifically 
agreed  hereon. 

If  this  company  shall  claim  that  the  loss  was  caused  by  the  act  or 
neglect  of  any  person  or  corporation,  private  or  municipal,  this 
company  shall,  on  payment  of  the  loss,  be  subrogated  to  the  extent 


320         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 

of  sudTpayment  to  all  right  of  recovery  by  the  insured  for  the  loss 
resulting  therefrom,  and  such  rights  shall  be  assigned  to  this  com- 
pany by  the  insured  on  receiving  such  payment,  or  the  insured,  if 
required,  shall  prosecute  therefor  at  the  expense  and  for  the  account 
of  this  company. 

This  policy  shall  be  canceled  at  any  time  at  the  request  of  the  in- 
sured; or  by  the  company  by  giving  five  days  notice  of  such  cancela- 
tion. 

If  this  policy  shall  be  canceled,  as  hereinbefore  provided,  or  be- 
come void  or  cease,  the  premium  having  been  actually  paid,  the 
unearned  portion  shall  be  returned  on  surrender  of  this  policy,  this 
company  retaining  the  customary  short  rate  premium;  except  that 
when  this  policy  is  canceled  by  this  company  by  giving  notice  it 
shall  retain  only  the  pro  rata  premium. 

This  company  shall  be  permitted  at  all  reasonable  times  to  in- 
spect the  premises  or  property  insured  hereunder,  but  by  so  inspect- 
ing assumes  no  liability  beyond  that  expressed  herein. 

No  suit  or  action  on  this  policy,  for  the  recovery  of  any  claim, 
shall  be  sustainable  in  any  court  of  law  or  equity  until  after  full 
compliance  by  the  insured  with  all  the  foregoing  requirements,  nor 
unless  commenced  within  twelve  months  (unless  otherwise  provided 
by  statute  or  other  legal  regulation)  next  after  the  leakage  causing 
loss  claimed. 

This  policy  is  made  and  accepted  subject  to  the  foregoing  stipu- 
lations and  conditions,  together  with  such  other  provisions,  agree- 
ments, or  conditions  as  may  be  endorsed  hereon  or  added  hereto,  and 
no  officer,  agent  or  other  representative  of  this  company  shall  have 
power  to  waive  any  provision  or  condition  of  this  policy  except  such 
as  by  the  terms  of  this  policy  may  be  the  subject  of  agreement  en- 
dorsed hereon  or  added  hereto,  and  as  to  such  provisions  and  con- 
ditions no  officer,  agent  or  representative  shall  have  such  power  or 
be  deemed  or  held  to  have  waived  such  provisions  or  conditions 
unless  such  waiver,  if  any,  shall  be  written  upon  or  attached  hereto, 
nor  shall  any  privilege  or  permission  affecting  the  insurance  under 
this  policy  exist  or  be  claimed  by  the  insured  unless  so  written  or 
attached. 

No  change  in  this  policy  shall  be  valid  unless  made  in  writing  by  a 
duly  authorized  agent  of  this  company. 

In  Witness  Whereof,  this  company  has  executed  and  attested 

these  presents  this day  of . . . 19. ..  .but  this  policy 

shall  not  be  valid  until  countersigned  by  the  duly  authorized  Agent 
of  the  company  at 


SPRINKLER  LEAKAGE  321 

Reduced  Rate  or  Coinsurance  Clause. 

This  Company  shall  not  be  liable  for  a  greater  proportion  of  any 
loss  or  damage  to  the  property  described  herein  than  the  sum  hereby 

insured  bears  to per  centum  ( )  of  the 

actual  cash  value  of  said  property  at  the  time  such  loss  shall  happen. 

In  case  of  claim  for  loss  on  the  property  described  herein  not  ex- 
ceeding five  per  cent  (5%)  of  the  maximum  amount  named  in  the 
policies  written  thereon  and  in  force  at  the  time  such  loss  shall 
happen,  no  special  inventory  or  appraisement  of  the  undamaged 
property  shall  be  required. 

If  the  insurance  under  this  Policy  be  divided  into  two  or  more 
items,  these  clauses  shall  apply  to  each  item  separately. 


CHAPTER  XII 

AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLERS  AS  A  PROTECTION  TO 

LIFE 

The  automatic  sprinkler  is  without  question  the  most 
important  fire  protection  device  ever  invented.  This  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  it  is  constantly  on  duty  in  every 
part  of  the  property  equipped  and  is  automatic  in  its 
action.  Practically  every  fire  is  small  at  the  start  and 
can  be  put  out  at  that  time  with  a  small  amount  of 
water.  The  sprinkler  is  able  to  supply  this  water  at 
just  the  time  it  is  needed  without  the  intervention  of 
any  human  agency.  The  device  itself  has  been  so  per- 
fected that  it  practically  never  fails  to  operate  when 
needed,  provided  only  that  it  is  properly  installed  and 
maintained. 

The  proof  of  its  value  is  found  in  the  fact  that  today 
a  majority  of  the  large  manufacturing  plants  if  of  a 
hazardous  nature  are  equipped  with  automatic  sprinklers. 
In  some  extra  hazardous  industries,  like  the  celluloid 
comb  business,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  obtain  fire  in- 
surance unless  the  building  is  sprinklered. 

The  value  placed  upon  the  device  by  the  insurance 
companies  is  accurately  reflected  in  the  rates  charged. 
A  manufacturing  plant  paying  a  rate  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  1  per  cent  per  year  can  be  insured  for  about 
-^j  of  1  per  cent,  generally  speaking,  if  equipped  with  a 
standard  sprinkler  system,  and  this  tremendous  differ- 
ence is  justified  by  the  fire  record.  Out  of  20,097  fires 
in  sprinklered  plants  tabulated  by  the  National  Fire 
Protection  Association  during  the  last  22  years,  only 
4.45  per  cent  were  not  controlled  by  the  equipment. 

322 


PROTECTION  TO  LIFE  323 

In  nearly  all  of  these  cases  there  was  some  good  reason 
for  the  failure,  such  as  a  closed  valve,  frozen  pipe,  de- 
fective water  supply,  etc.  Given  a  standard  equip- 
ment, under  proper  maintenance,  with  adequate  water 
supplies,  in  a  building  of  even  fair  construction,  and  the 
automatic  sprinkler  is  practically  certain  to  control  any 
fire  that  may  occur. 

Up  to  a  few  years  ago,  sprinklers  were  more  or  less  of 
an  experiment  but  they  have  now  been  successfully  used 
for  40  years  and  their  efficiency  can  no  longer  be  ques- 
tioned. It  is*  a  noteworthy  fact  that  in  all  the  fires  in 
sprinklered  buildings,  there  has  been  practically  no  loss 
of  life.  In  the  Grover  Shoe  Factory  fire  in  Brockton 
in  1907  it  is  true  that  several  lives  were  lost  but  this 
was  due  primarily  to  the  explosion  of  the  boiler.  In 
the  Herald  Building  fire  in  Montreal  in  1910,  there  was 
also  a  loss  of  life  but  this  was  due  to  the  collapse  of  the 
building  that  preceded  the  fire.  The  records  of  the 
Factory  Mutual  Insurance  Companies  covering  risks 
employing  1,500,000  people  show  only  12  deaths  in 
sprinklered  buildings  in  38  years.  Of  these  3  were  due 
to  persons  going  back  into  a  burning  building  to  save 
property  and  4  were  firemen  engaged  in  fighting  the 
fire.  There  may  be  a  few  other  isolated  cases  but 
they  are  so  rare  that  they  only  go  to  prove  the 
rule. 

This  being  the  case,  it  is  indeed  strange  that  the 
sprinkler  has  not  been  more  frequently  installed  as  a 
life  saver.  Practically  all  the  equipments  thus  far  in- 
stalled have  been  for  the  protection  of  property  and  a 
large  majority  of  them  have  been  installed  primarily 
because  they  were  a  good  investment.  In  practically 
every  case  a  sprinkler  equipment  will  pay  from  10  to 
30  per  cent  upon  the  money  invested  on  account  of  the 
saving  in  insurance  premiums.  It  is  a  sad  commen- 
tary upon  the  intelligence  of  the  American  public  that, 


324         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 

were  they  not  of  financial  benefit,  comparatively  few 
sprinkler  equipments  would  ever  have  been  installed. 
Up  to  quite  recently  practically  the  only  agency  that 
has  been  responsible  for  the  growth  of  sprinkler  protec- 
tion is  fire  insurance.  But  the  gradual  awakening  of 
the  American  public  to  our  scandalous  fire  waste,  both 
of  lives  and  property,  is  beginning  to  have  its  effect, 
and  a  few  property  owners  are  beginning  to  look  at  the 
subject  from  a  broader  point  of  view. 

Public  opinion  is  already  beginning  to  take  the  form 
of  legislation  in  a  few  places  and  this  is  only  the  begin- 
ning of  a  widespread  movement.  The  Massachusetts 
State  Police  are  now  draughting  a  proposed  law,  pri- 
marily for  the  safeguarding  of  life,  that  will  require 
automatic  sprinklers  in  all  celluloid  working  plants 
hereafter  erected  in  the  Commonwealth.  New  York 
City  is  requiring  automatic  sprinklers  or  perforated 
pipes  in  certain  basements  in  congested  sections.  Just 
why  the  antiquated  perforated  pipe,  which  is  not  auto- 
matic in  its  action,  is  put  on  the  same  basis  as  the 
modern  automatic  sprinkler  is  not  clear;  but  the  fact 
that  some  better  form  of  protection  than  the  hose 
stream  was  found  necessary  in  these  inaccessible  places 
is  a  sign  of  the  times.  Several  cities  have  similar  ordi- 
nances relating  to  the  stages  of  theatres. 

The  Boston  Chamber  of  Commerce  appointed  a  com- 
mittee on  Fire  Prevention  a  few  years  ago  and  after 
giving  the  matter  long  and  careful  study  they  made  the 
following  recommendation  in  their  report  of  1911. 

"  The  passage  of  a  law  requiring  all  second-  and  third-class  build- 
ings now  existing  within  the  congested  business  district  of  the  city 
to  be  equipped  with  sprinkler  service,  except  that  houses  for  habita- 
tion not  used  in  any  portion  for  any  other  purpose  need  not  be  so 
equipped,  and  that  hotels  and  lodging  houses  need  be  so  equipped 
only  in  the  basement,  first  story,  public  halls,  dining  rooms  and 
assembly  rooms." 


PROTECTION   TO  LIFE  325 

Public  sentiment  does  not  yet  seem  to  have  reached 
the  point  where  such  drastic  legislation  can  be  passed 
but  the  time  is  surely  coming  when  the  public  will 
wonder  why  such  laws  were  not  put  into  effect  long  ago. 

It  should  not  need  another  Bighamton  or  Triangle 
Waist  horror  to  prove  the  necessity  of  this  effective  and 
inexpensive  form  of  protection  in  every  factory,  what- 
ever its  construction,  where  light,  inflammable  material 
is  worked.  It  should  not  require  another  Gollingwood 
School  holocaust  to  point  out  the  necessity  of  auto- 
matic sprinklers  in  the  basements  and  stairways  of 
combustible  school  buildings.  It  should  not  require 
another  General  Slocum  or  Volturno  disaster  to  demon- 
strate the  practicability  of  safeguarding  the  lives  of 
precious  human  freight  by  such  a  simple  means  as  the 
sprinkler.  It  should  not  require  another  Baltimore  con- 
flagration to  prove  the  desirability  of  equipping  all 
stores  having  highly  combustible  contents  with  this  ever- 
present  safeguard.  It  is  not  only  practical  and  inex- 
pensive but  in  most  .cases  a  saving  of  money  to  equip 
all  such  structures  and  thus  reduce  the  chance  for  loss 
of  life  to  as  low  a  point  as  modern  science  can  devise. 

The  time  is  surely  coming  when  automatic  sprinklers 
will  be  required  in  all  hazardous  manufacturing  plants, 
in  all  large  retail  stores,  in  all  non-fireproof  buildings  in 
congested  districts,  in  theatres,  in  school  houses  and 
even  in  combustible  ships  just  as  surely  as  proper  means 
of  exit  are  now  required  in  similar  places. 


CHAPTER  XIII 
COMBINED   HEAT  AND   SPRINKLER  SYSTEMS 

IT  is  a  curious  fact  that  in  the  first  automatic  sprinkler 
system  ever  installed  an  effort  was  made  to  combine  a 
heating  system  with  the  sprinkler  system  and  that  no 
serious  attempt  was  made  to  repeat  this  experiment 
until  very  recently.  The  system  in  the  Parmelee  Piano 
Factory  in  New  Haven,  installed  in  1874,  was  used  for 
heating  in  extremely  cold  weather.  There  was  an  aux- 
iliary system  of  steam  pipes  of  sufficient  capacity  to 
heat  the  building  in  moderate  weather,  but  in  very  cold 
weather  steam  was  let  into  the  sprinkler  pipes.  The 
sprinkler  heads  were  placed  upon  inverted  U  pipes  to 
form  a  trap  which  would  remain  full  of  water  and  thus 
keep  the  steam  from  heating  the  heads  unduly.  The 
Parmelee  system  of  piping,  being  a  "tree  "  system,  was 
especially  adapted  for  this  purpose,  for  the  heat  that 
circulated  in  the  main  feed  pipes  would  not  cause  much 
circulation  in  the  branch  pipes  in  which  the  sprinklers 
were  located. 

There  were  three  feed  lines  running  lengthwise  of 
the  building  with  cross  feeders  at  the  ends  and  in  the 
center.  At  the  end  of  each  cross  feed  was  a  pipe  with 
a  valve  extending  out  of  doors.  These  were  used  to 
bleed  the  system  and  start  a  circulation  when  the  steam 
was  let  in.  The  system  was  not  entirely  satisfactory 
and  the  steam  connection  was  finally  abandoned. 

No  further  attempt  along  this  line  was  made  so  far  as 
is  known  until  about  1910  when  the  weave  shed  of  a 
New  Bedford  Cotton  Mill  was  piped  with  a  system  that 
could  be  used  both  for  sprinkler  and  heating  purposes. 
The  building  was  of  large  area  (about  300  by  237  ft.) 
and  basement  and  one  story  in  height.  The  system  was 

326 


COMBINED  HEAT  AND   SPRINKLER  SYSTEMS     327 

fed  by  an  8-inch  connection  from  the  yard  mains  sup- 
plied by  the  city  water  and  a  steam  pump.  A  check 
valve  was  installed  in  this  connection  just  inside  the 
building. 

In  the  basement  the  entire  piping  system  was  used  for 
heating  purposes  arid  there  were  no  auxiliary  heating 
pipes.  Check  valves  were  placed  on  the  larger  branch 
lines  near  the  main  feed  line  to  prevent  circulation  in 
the  latter.  The  ends  of  the  branch  lines  were  tied  to- 
gether and  connected  to  two  4-inch  headers  or  supply 
pipes  from  a  hot  water  heater. 

The  weave  shed  occupying  the  1st  floor  had  a  saw- 
tooth roof  not  so  well  adapted  to  this  form  of  heating. 
No  attempt  was  made  here  to  utilize  the  small  sprinkler 
pipes,  running  to  the  top  of  each  saw  tooth,  for  heating 
purposes,  but  the  heat  was  obtained  by  the  circulation 
through  the  larger  feed  pipes  and  some  auxiliary  heating 
coils. 

The  heater  was  located  in  the  basement  of  an  adjoin- 
ing engine  room  and  the  circulating  water  was  here  heated 
by  steam.  Circulation  was  effected  by  means  of  a  pump. 
The  heated  water  starting  in  a  4-inch  pipe  circulated 
through  the  sprinkler  pipes  and  auxiliary  heating  pipes 
returning  through  another  4-inch  pipe. 

One  of  the  most  important  problems  in  such  a  system 
is  to  insulate  the  sprinkler  heads  sufficiently  to  prevent 
them  from  becoming  overheated  and  fusing.  The  aver- 
age temperature  of  the  water  in  this  system  was  figured 
at  180°  to  200°  F.  with  a  possible  maximum  of  245°  F. 
As  sprinkler  solder  melts  at  160°  F.,  it  is  evident  that 
means  must  be  taken  to  prevent  the  sprinkler  heads 
from  reaching  the  temperature  of  the  circulating  water. 
This  was  accomplished  by  using  J-inch  offsets  about 
12  inches  long.  These  were  screwed  to  the  top  of  the 
sprinkler  pipe  and  the  sprinkler  head  was  attached  to 
the  other  end.  This  brought  the  sprinkler  about  3  inches 


328         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

above  the  main  pipe.  It  was  found  by  tests  that  these 
offsets  soon  became  filled  with  air  and  nitrogen  gas 
which  acted  as  an  insulator  and  prevented  the  sprinkler 
•94."pipe  I'loifc  from  becoming  too  hot. 

let  30'with  main  line  This  system  worked  sat- 

isfactorily  and   so   far  as 
•[K  known  no  trouble  has  oc- 

|j*[[          — ^  curred. 

Certain   patents    were 
STRAIGHT  OFFSET.  ,    ,  ,,. 

taken  out  on  this  system 

by  Pierce  Bros.,  who  owned  the  mill,  and  later  patents 
covering  similar  systems  were  taken  out  by  others. 

In  1913  the  plant  of  Gray  &  Davis  at  Cambridge  was 
equipped  with  a  similar  system  by  the  General  Fire 
Extinguisher  Co.  In  this  system  the  offsets  were  J  inch 
instead  of  J  inch  as  in  the  earlier  system,  as  J-inch  pipe 
is  too  small  for  good  sprinkler  protection.  These  offsets 
were  12  inches  long,  placed  at  an  angle  of  30  degrees 
with  the  feed  pipe  instead  of  being  placed  parallel  to  it. 
These  were  probably  not  quite  as  effective  for  insula- 
ting as  the  smaller  pipes.  In  this  system  a  connection 
was  made  between  the  sprinkler  piping  and  a  domestic 
service  connection  through  a  small  pipe  in  order  to  take 
care  of  contraction  and  expansion.  The  system  was 
somewhat  complicated  by  having  two  main  risers,  each 
containing  an  alarm  valve,  and  these  were  tied  together 
above  the  alarm  valves.  In  order  to  shut  the  water 
off  from  any  sprinkler  it  was  necessary  to  shut  the 
two  main  controlling  valves  and  a  hot  water  feed 
valve.  During  a  very  cold  snap  the  first  winter  the 
heating  system  was  forced  in  order  to  keep  the  building 
warm  and  as  a  result  two  sprinkler  heads  near  a  main 
riser  opened  from  overheating.  The  offsets  on  all  heads 
near  main  risers  were  then  lengthened  and  no  further 
trouble  has  occurred. 

The  early  installations  were  made  by  the  Pierce  Ham- 


COMBINED   HEAT  AND  SPRINKLER  SYSTEMS      329 

mond  Co.  who  controlled  the  patents  of  the  Pierce  Bros, 
and  W.  B.  Hammond. 

In  1914  the  business  of  installing  such  systems  was 
pushed  by  the  Combined  Heat  and  Sprinkler  Co.  of 
Boston,  which  controlled  the  Chatman  and  Nutter 
patents.  Several  sprinkler  companies  were  licensed  to 
install  their  system  on  a  royalty  basis  and  during  1914 
and  1915  over  15  equipments,  largely  in  New  England, 
were  installed. 

In  these  equipments,  curved  offsets  known  as  "  ram's 
horns  "  were  used  instead  of  straight  offsets  for  insu- 
lating the  sprinkler  heads.  The  Rockwood  Sprinkler 
Co.  used  a  compound  curve  while  the  G.  M.  Parks  Co. 


FOR  SHALLOW  PANEL  OR  FLAT  CEILING  CONSTRUCTION 

COMBINED  HEAT  AND  SPRINKLER  Co. 
CURVED  OFFSET. 

used  a  simple  curve.  These  offsets  took  out  from  the 
side  of  the  sprinkler  pipe,  curved  downwards  about 
5  inches  and  then  upwards  about  the  same  amount, 
bringing  the  sprinkler  head  about  on  a  level  with  the 
sprinkler  feed  pipe.  This  formed  a  water  trap  through 
which  but  little  heat  could  reach  the  sprinkler. 


330          AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 

In  some  tests  made  to  determine  the  temperature  of 
water  in  different  parts  of  the  offset  it  was  found  that 
with  a  room  temperature  of  86°  F.,  and  a  temperature  of 
water  in  the  sprinkler  feed  pipe  of  238°  F.  the  following 
results  were  obtained. 

With  Parks  offset,  simple  curve  18  inches  long. 

Temperature  of  water  in  offset  at  first  bend,  190  degrees. 

Temperature  of  water  in  offset  at  second  bend,  110 
degrees. 

Temperature   of  water  in   offset  at  third  bend,   104 
degrees. 

Temperature  of  sprinkler  head,  102  degrees. 
With  Rockwood  offset,  compound  curve  22  inches  long. 

Temperature  of  water  in  offset  at  first  bend,  180  de- 
grees. 

Temperature  of  water  in  offset  at  second  bend,  98  de- 
grees. 

Temperature  of  sprinkler  head,  100  degrees. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  this  was  a  somewhat  excessive 
temperature  in  the  feed  pipes  as  220  degrees  is  recom- 
mended as  a  maximum.  The  superior  results  in  the 
Rockwood  offset  is  due  largely  no  doubt  to  its  greater 
length. 

Tests  were  also  made  upon  the  effects  of  freezing  by 
allowing  the  temperature  in  the  room  to  fall  to  22°  F. 
while  the  water  in  the  circulating  pipes  was  85  degrees. 
After  a  five  hour  run  the  water  in  the  ends  of  the  offset 
was  frozen  but  in  no  case  was  the  pipe  split  or  the  sprink- 
ler head  injured.  With  a  temperature  of  120  degrees 
in  the  circulating  pipe  slight  freezing  occurred^  some 
cases.  With  a  temperature  of  172  degrees  in  the  pipe 
no  freezing  occurred. 

The  ram's  horn  offset  does  not  comply  with  the  sprink- 
ler rules  as  it  prevents  complete  drainage  of  system. 

The  earlier  equipments  were  somewhat  complicated 


COMBINED   HEAT   AND  SPRINKLER  SYSTEMS      331 

by  a  multiplicity  of  controlling  valves  both  on  the 
sprinkler  and  heating  pipes.  The  later  equipments  were 
somewhat  simplified  and  in  most  cases  one  valve  was 
sufficient  to  control  the  entire  equipment. 

The  trouble  from  possible  overheating  of  the  sprinkler 
heads  was  largely  overcome  by  the  use  of  the  curved 
or  ram's  horn  offset  although  there  was  one  case  where 
trouble  occurred  owing  to  defective  workmanship.  This 
was  in  the  building  of  the  Worcester  Building  Trust  at 
Worcester,  Mass.  Grinnell  sprinklers  were  installed  by 
G.  M.  Parks  &  Co.  on  compound  curved  offsets.  During 
the  first  winter  this  equipment  was  in  place  (1914-1915) 
there  was  some  trouble  from  lack  of  heat  in  the  building. 
The  next  summer  a  larger  boiler  was  installed.  On 
December  11,  1915,  just  after  the  first  cold  snap  of  the 
season,  a  sprinkler  on  the  fourth  floor  and  one  on  the 
fifth  floor  opened  almost  simultaneously  at  9.45  A.M. 
Investigation  showed  that  the  offsets  on  these  two  heads 
as  well  as  several  others  in  the  building  were  defective* 
or  rather  had  been  installed  wrong  end  to.  These  offsets 
were  changed  and  no  further  trouble  occurred. 

During  1916  and  1917  there  was  patent  litigation  be- 
tween the  Pierce  Hammond  Co.  and  Combined  Heat 
and  Sprinkler  Co.  and  but  few  equipments  were  in- 
stalled. This  litigation  has  now  been  settled  and  a 
working  agreement  has  been  reached  between  the  two 
companies.  The  Combined  Heat  and  Sprinkler  Co.  ex- 
pects to  push  the  business  again  in  the  near  future. 

Heating  Properties.  The  radiating  surface  of  sprink- 
ler pipes  as  ordinarily  installed  is  about  60  per  cent  of 
that  required  to  keep  a  room  at  a  temperature  of  70°  F. 
This  will  vary  a  good  deal  depending  on  the  height  of 
the  room,  the  window  surface  and  other  factors  but  the 
figure  is  probably  a  fair  average.  Where  this  tempera- 
ture is  desired  with  a  combined  system  it  is  therefore 
necessary  to  use  auxiliary  heating  pipes  or  else  to  enlarge 


332         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


the  sprinkler  pipes.  Auxiliary  pipes  are  usually  in- 
stalled and  these  are  quite  independent  of  the  sprinkler 
pipes.  The  sprinkler  pipes  are  well  located  for  heating 
purposes  as  they  afford  an  excellent  distribution  of  the 
radiating  surface. 


COMBINED  HEATING  AND  SPRINKLER  SYSTEM. 
(Sectional  view  showing  arrangement  of  piping.) 

Circulation  of  Water.  In  most  of  the  equipments 
already  installed  a  pump  has  been  used  for  circulating 
the  water.  The  tendency,  however,  is  toward  gravity 
systems  with  no  pump.  These  are  practical  in  many 
buildings  of  moderate  area,  say  16,000  square  feet  to  the 
floor  or  less  and  of  three  stories  or  more  in  height. 

In  most  cases  a  centrifugal  pump  has  been  used,  this 
being  noiseless  and  creating  no  water  hammer. 


COMBINED  HEAT  AND  SPRINKLER  SYSTEMS      333 

The  branch  lines  are  generally  enlarged  "to  1J  or  2 
inches  and  are  all  tied  together.  These  are  then  con- 
nected to  auxiliary  risers  or  return  pipes  so  as  to  give  a 
complete  circulation.  The  details  vary  greatly  accord- 
ing to  local  conditions  but  the  return  pipes  are  all  con- 
nected to  a  return  main  and  the  pump  is  located  in  this 
main  near  the  heater.  Various  forms  of  heaters  are 
used. 

Expansion.  Some  arrangement  is  needed  to  care  for 
expansion  and  contraction,  as  water  heated  from  40°  to 
250°  F.  will  expand  nearly  5  per  cent  of  its  volume. 
In  some  equipments  this  can  be  regulated  by  an  expan- 
sion tank  located  above  the  highest  pipe  as  in  ordinary 
hot  water  heating  systems.  In  other  cases  it  is  taken 
care  of  by  means  of  a  small  by-pass  around  the  check 
valve  on  the  sprinkler  supply.  This  by-pass  contains  a 
check  valve,  usually  J  inch  in  diameter  and  punctured 
with  a  J-inch  hole.  It  points  in  the  opposite  direction 
to  that  of  the  large  check.  Such  an  arrangement  will 
not  interfere  with  the  proper  action  of  the  alarm  valve, 
if  there  is  one  in  the  system.  The  expansion  when  the 
water  is  heated  is  much  more  rapid  than  the  contraction 
when  it  cools  and  therefore  a  larger  outlet  than  inlet  is 
necessary  in  the  by-pass.  This  is  accomplished  by  the 
half-inch  check  containing  a  quarter-inch  hole.  In  some 
cases  a  relief  valve  has  also  been  installed  on  the  system 
to  care  for  excessive  expansion. 

The  operating  temperature  of  the  water  should  vary 
from  100  to  220  degrees.  This  can  be  automatically 
controlled. 

Advantages.  The  principal  advantage  claimed  for 
the  system  is  economy  in  original  cost  of  installation  and 
economy  in  operation.  In  small  equipments,  say  300 
heads  or  less,  there  is  seldom  or  never  any  economy  in 
first  cost  but  in  larger  equipments  this  may  run  from 
5  to  30  per  cent.  The  saving  in  maintenance  is  due  to 


334         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

the  fact  that  the  use  of  hot  water  is  generally  more  eco- 
nomical than  steam  although  it  requires  larger  pipes 
and  therefore  greater  initial  cost.  The  distribution  of 
heat  is  more  even  than  where  the  pipes  are  arranged  in 
banks,  although  piping  at  the  ceiling  level  does  not  give 
quite  as  economical  a  method  of  radiation  as  do  pipes 
on  the  wall. 

Other  advantages  claimed  are  as  follows:  There  is 
less  liability  of  serious  obstructions  remaining  in  the 
pipes  without  being  discovered  as  they  would  prevent 
circulation  and  the  pipes  would  remain  cold  where  ob- 
structed. The  lack  of  dead  ends  in  the  sprinkler  pipes 
gives  less  friction  loss  and  better  distribution  of  water. 
The  chance  of  false  alarms  from  alarm  valves  should  be 
minimized  on  account  of  the  lack  of  entrapped  air  in 
the  pipes. 

Disadvantages.  Amongst  the  possible  disadvantages 
may  be  noted  the  following: 

1.  Additional  chance  for  shutting  off  the  sprinkler 
system  due  to  repairs.     A  system  used  for  two  purposes 
would  generally  be  more  likely  to  need  repairs  than  if 
only  used  for  one  purpose.     The  expansion  and  contrac- 
tion due  to  changes  in  temperature  would  tend  to  make 
the  piping  leak  more  than  where  temperature  was  more 
constant.     On  the  other  hand  repairs  are  more  apt  to 
be  made  promptly. 

2.  Complication  of  valves  and  need  of  shutting  more 
than  one  valve  to  shut  off  water  from  sprinklers.      This 
has  been  largely  overcome  in  many  of  the  later  equip- 
ments. 

3.  Chance  of  clogging  of  the  trap  in  the  assets  by 
mud   and   sediment   carried   by  the   circulating   water. 
Where  water  is  impure  a  mud  drum  should  be  installed 
and  the  tests  of  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  seem 
to  show  that  this  will  generally  prevent  trouble  in  the 
offsets. 


COMBINED  HEAT  AND  SPRINKLER  SYSTEMS     335 

There  is  also  the  feature  of  using  hot  water  to  extin- 
guish a  fire.  While  the  cold  water  would  soon  follow 
the  discharge  of  hot  water  in  case  a  fire  occurred  it  is  a 
fact  fchat  hot  water  is  not  as  good  a  fire  extinguisher 
and  might  cause  some  inconvenience  to  any  person  who 
was  near  enough  to  be  wet  by  the  first  discharge  from 
the  sprinkler. 


50JLLR. 


COMBINED  HEATING  AND  SPRINKLER  SYSTEM  —  PUMP  AND  HEATER. 

There  is  also  a  possibility  that  hot  water  might  be 
slightly  detrimental  to  the  rubber  faces  of  alarm  valves 
should  the  circulation  be  allowed  to  come  too  close  to 
these  devices. 

The  matter  of  corrosion  of  the  interior  of  the  sprinkler 
piping  is  a  matter  needing  more  field  experience,  but  the 
general  opinion  amongst  manufacturers  of  heating  devices 
seems  to  be  that  there  should  be  little  if  any  trouble  from 
this  cause. 


336         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Conclusions.  The  Combined  Heat  and  Sprinkler  Co. 
system  was  thoroughly  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Labo- 
ratories in  Chicago  and  approved  by  them  in  1917. 

A  field  experience  of  about  7  years  seems  to  pro^e  that 
the  system  is  commercially  successful  and  is  economical 
under  certain  conditions.  In  buildings  less  than  50 
feet  wide  and  in  equipments  of  less  than  300  heads  it 
is  usually  not  economical  in  regards  to  first  cost. 
It  is  particularly  desirable  in  buildings  that  otherwise 
would  be  piped  on  a  dry  system  because  it  does  away 
with  the  inherent  undesirable  features  of  such  systems, 
namely:  chance  of  freezing  in  pockets  in  the  piping  and 
other  parts  of  the  system,  care  in  keeping  air  pressure 
pUmped  up,  and  delay  in  getting  water  at  a  sprinkler 
head  after  it  has  fused.  Experience  has  shown  that  such 
a  system  is  not  suitable  for  show  windows  of  a  depart- 
ment store. 

Installations.  The  following  is  a  brief  description  of 
some  of  the  early  installations. 

Pierce  Bros.,  Ltd.,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 

Basement  and  one-story  weave  shed,  about  300  X  237 
feet.  Grinnell  sprinklers  used  on  ^-inch  straight  offsets 
about  12  inches  long.  Water  circulated  by  pump. 

Bates  Mfg.  Co.,  Lewiston,  Maine. 

Two-story  weave  shed,  325  X  525  feet,  and  of  fireproof 
construction.  Grinnell  heads  used  on  straight  f-inch 
offsets. 

Installed  by  the  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co. 

Gray  and  Davis,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

Five-story  fireproof  building,  382  X  62  feet.  Grinnell 
sprinklers  on  f-inch  straight  offsets.  Installed  by  Gen- 
eral Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  Circulation  by  centrifugal 
pump.  Expansion  taken  care  of  by  by-pass. 

Installed  by  the  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co. 


COMBINED  HEAT  AND   SPRINKLER  SYSTEMS      337 

Brewer  &  Co.,  Fall  River,  Mass. 

Two-  and  three-story  brick  wholesale  drug  house. 
Area,  90  X  100  feet.  Rockwood  sprinklers  on  compound 
curve  offset.  Circulation  by  gravity.  Expansion  through 
by-pass  and  relief  valve. 

Installed  by  Rockwood  Sprinkler  Co. 

Worcester  Building  Trust,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Basement  and  eight-story  fireproof  building  of  about 
16,000  square  feet  ground  area.  Grinnell  sprinklers  on 
single  curve  offset.  Circulation  by  pump.  Expansion 
through  by-pass  and  relief  valve. 

Installed  by  G.  M.  Parks  Co. 


COMBINED  HEATING  AND  SPRINKLER  SYSTEM  IN  PLANT  OF 
WHEELOCK  LOVE  JOY  &  Co. 

Wheelock  Lovejoy  &  Co.,  Cambridge,  Mass. 

One-story  mill  constructed  building,  170  X  200   feet. 
Rockwood  sprinklers  on  compound  curve  offsets.     Cir- 


338         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

culation  by  electrically  driven  centrifugal  pump.     Ex- 
pansion through  J-inch  by-pass.     Relief  valve  also  used. 
Installed  by  Rockwood  Sprinkler  Co. 

Outlet  Co.,  Providence,  R.  I. 

Basement  and  six-story  fireproof  building,  180  X  110 
feet.  Grinnell  heads  on  single  curve  offset.  Circulating 
pump  installed  but  not  used.  Expansion  through  by- 
pass and  relief  valve. 

Installed  by  G.  M.  Parks  Co. 

Fore  River  Ship  &  Engine  Co.,  Quincy,  Mass. 

Four-story  building,  about  100  X  200  feet.  Grinnell 
heads  on  single  curve  offset.  Circulation  by  gravity. 
Two  separate  systems  with  P.  I.  V.  control.  Expansion 
through  by-pass. 

Installed  by  G.  M.  Parks  Co. 

Albert  Geiger,  Jr.,  Three  Garages,  Commonwealth  Ave., 
Boston,  Mass. 

Basement  and  four  stories  fireproof  construction. 
Rockwood  sprinklers  on  compound  curve  offset.  Grav- 
ity circulation.  Expansion  through  by-pass  and  relief 
valve. 

Installed  by  Rockwood  Sprinkler  Co. 

Barton  Store,  Manchester,  N.  H. 

Basement  and  six-story  building,  100  X  150  feet. 
Rockwood  sprinklers  on  compound  curve  offset.  Cir- 
culation by  pump.  Expansion  through  by-pass. 

Installed  by  Rockwood  Sprinkler  Co. 

Rockwood  Sprinkler  Co.,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Three-story    building,    240  X  110    feet.      Rockwood 
sprinklers  on  compound  curve  offset.     Circulation  by 
gravity.     No  auxiliary  heating  pipes  used.     Expansion 
through  by-pass  and  relief  valve, 
i    Installed  by  Rockwood  Sprinkler  Co. 


COMBINED  HEAT  AND  SPRINKLER  SYSTEMS     339 

Essex  Associates,  Haverhill,  Mass. 

Basement  and  eight-story  building,  200  X  50  feet. 
Grinnell  sprinklers  on  single  curve  offset.  Gravity  cir- 
culation. Expansion  through  by-pass. 

Installed  by  G.  M.  Parks  Co. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

SYPHO   CHEMICAL   SPRINKLER   SYSTEM 
GENERAL  DESCRIPTION 

This  device  which  was  approved  by  the  Underwriters' 
Laboratories  December  19,  1916,  is  made  by  the  Sypho 
Chemical  Sprinkler  Corporation  of  New  York  of  which 
Mr.  E.  L.  Thompson  of  the  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  of 
America  is  president.  It  is  an  automatic  extinguishing 
device  designed  for  moderate  areas  and  to  extinguish 
iires  that  are  subject  to  control  by  three  or  less  sprink- 
lers supplied  by  200  gallons  of  liquid. 

It  consists  in  brief  of  a  "soda  and  acid"  chemical  tank 
or  engine  of  200  gallons  capacity  connected  to  a  system 
of  pipes  and  sprinklers  arranged  in  a  similar  manner  to 
a  standard  automatic  sprinkler  system;  an  alarm  valve; 
a  combined  shut-off  and  check  valve;  and  an  expansion 
chamber  located  at  the  top  of  the  riser  above  the  highest 
sprinkler.  The  tank  is  filled  with  a  solution  of  bicar- 
bonate of  soda  such  as  is  used  in  a  soda-acid  hand  ex- 
tinguisher. The  acid  charge  is  located  in  a  dome  attached 
to  the  tank  and  so  arranged  that  the  acid  can  be 
syphoned  into  the  tank  when  needed.  A  small  suction 
pipe  extends  from  the  acid  dome  to  the  expansion 
chamber  at  the  top  of  the  riser.  The  piping,  down  to 
a  check  valve  in  the  riser  near  the  tank,  is  filled  with  a 
non-freezing  solution  of  calcium  chloride. 

The  action  of  the  device  is  as  follows:  Wh^Q  a  fire 
occurs  a  sprinkler  head  opens  and  the  calcium  chloride 
solution  is  discharged  through  the  open  head  or  heads. 
This  lowers  the  height  of  liquid  in  the  main  riser  and 
thus  forms  a  partial  vacuum  in  the  expansion  chamber. 

340 


SYPHO  CHEMICAL  SPRINKLER  SYSTEM        341 


GONG 


GENERAL  VIEW  OF  SYPHO  CHEMICAL  SPRINKLER  SYSTEM. 
(Condensed  and  not  to  scale.) 


342          AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

This  loss  of  pressure  or  partial  vacuum  is  transmitted  to 
the  acid  dome  through  the  small  pipe  thus  starting  the 
cycles  of  syphonic  action  in  the  acid.  The  acid  then 
flows  into  the  tank  forming  carbonic  acid  gas  which  soon 
develops  a  pressure  of  about  100  pounds  and  discharges 
the  contents  of  the  tank  through  the  riser  and  opened 
sprinklers. 

It  is  not  an  automatic  sprinkler  system  but  is  a  new 
device  for  automatically  extinguishing  fires,  comprising 
features  of  the  automatic  sprinkler  system  as  well  as 
those  of  the  chemical  extinguisher.  It  is  under  such  a 
classification  that  it  was  approved  by  the  Underwriters' 
Laboratories. 

DETAILS 

Description  of  tank.  The  tank  is  cylindrical  and  made 
of  Allegheny  iron  uncoated  on  the  inside  but  painted  on 
the  outside  with  two  coats  of  mineral  paint.  It  is  76 
inches  long  and  30  inches  in  diameter,  which  gives  a  fluid 
capacity  of  200  gallons,  and  is  designed  for  a  working 
pressure  of  130  pounds.  There  is  an  opening  5X3 
inches  for  cleaning  located  in  one  end  provided  with  a 
manhole  cover  bolted  on.  There  is  also  a  one-inch 
drainage  hole  in  the  bottom  closed  by  a  threaded  cast- 
iron  plug. 

The  discharge  pipe,  2  inches  in  diameter,  enters  the 
top  and  extends  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  tank.  There 
is  a  dome-shaped  casting  bolted  to  the  top  of  the  tank 
which  contains  the  sulphuric  acid  charge.  The  tank  is 
kept  full  of  a  solution  of  bicarbonate  of  soda  and  water, 
consisting  of  0.6  pounds  of  bicarbonate  of  sodaiiio  each 
gallon  of  water  or  120  pounds  of  soda  to  each  complete 
charge.  The  tank  is  filled  to  the  proper  level  through 
the  opening  caused  by  the  removal  of  the  acid  dome. 

The  tank  can  be  located  in  any  convenient  part  of  the 
basement  or  floors  above  but  where  temperature  will 


SYPHO   CHEMICAL  SPRINKLER  SYSTEM        343 

not  fall  below  50°  F.  and  never  more  than  60  feet  below 
the  highest  sprinkler. 

Acid  charge.  The  acid  charge  is  contained  in  a  dome 
attached  to  the  top  of  the  tank  by  a  flanged  joint.  The 
cover  of  the  dome  is  removable  and  can  be  unbolted 
when  the  tank  is  to  be  examined  or  recharged. 

The  acid  receptacles  are  three  in  number  and  are  sup- 
ported one  above  the  other  in  the  chamber  of  the  syphon 
dome.  They  are  made  of  lead,  in  three  cylindrical  parts. 
The  upper  receptacle  and  upper  part  of  the  intermediate 
receptacle  constitute  one  part;  the  lower  part  of  the 
intermediate  receptacle  and  the  upper  part  of  lower 
receptacle  form  the  second  part;  and  the  lower  part  of 
the  lower  receptacle  forms  the  third  part.  The  upper 
part  telescopes  into  a  recess  and  is  supported  by  the 
second  part.  The  second  part  telescopes  into  and  is 
supported  by  the  third  part,  which  rests  on  the  bottom 
of  the  chamber  in  the  syphon  dome. 

The  upper  acid  receptacle  is  open  at  the  top  and  is  filled 
with  sulphuric  acid.  The  intermediate  acid  receptacle  is 
closed  at  the  top,  except  for  a  small  vent  in  the  top  of  a 
tube  extending  up  through  the  upper  acid  receptacle,  and 
is  only  filled  with  sufficient  acid  to  form  a  seal  at  the  bot- 
tom, the  space  above  the  acid  forming  an  air  chamber. 
The  acid  in  these  two  receptacles  constitutes  the  primary, 
or  starting,  charge.  The  lower  acid  receptacle  is  closed 
at  the  top,  except  for  a  small  vent  in  the  plug  closing 
the  opening  for  filling,  and  is  partly  filled  by  the  acid 
that  constitutes  the  secondary  or  follow-up  charge,  the 
space  above  the  acid  in  this  receptacle  also  forming  an 
air  chamber.  The  small  vent  holes  into  the  air  chambers 
of  the  intermediate  and  lower  acid  receptacles  serve  to 
equalize  pressure  difference  due  to  temperature  changes 
and  are  not  large  enough  to  affect  the  normal  operation 
of  the  engine. 

A  syphon  of  the  bell  pattern  is  located  in  the  middle  of 


344          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

each  acid  receptacle.  The  long  leg  of  each  syphon  is 
made  of  lead  pipe  and  extends  down  through  the  bottom 
of  the  receptacle  in  connection  with  which  it  is  used. 
The  bell  portions  are  made  of  an  alloy  of  antimony  and 
lead  and  are  placed  in  position  over  the  upper  ends  of 
the  pipe  portion. 

The  upper  syphon  is  started  by  the  suction  caused  by 
the  lowering  of  the  level  of  the  solution  in  the  expansion 
chamber  at  the  top  of  the  system,  and  discharges  the  acid 
contained  in  the  upper  acid  receptacle  into  the  inter- 
mediate acid  receptacle,  which  starts  the  intermediate 
syphon  and  discharges  the  acid  from  both  of  these  re- 
ceptacles (constituting  the  primary  charge)  down  the 
pipe  extending  through  the  middle  of  the  lower  acid 
receptacle  and  independently  into  the  soda  solution  in 
the  tank.  The  lower  syphon  is  started  by  the  expan- 
sion of  gas  in  the  chamber  above  the  acid  in  the  lower 
acid  receptacle,  when  the  pressure  in  the  tank  is  lowered 
and  discharges  the  secondary  or  follow-up  acid  charge 
in  the  lower  acid  receptacle  independently  into  the  soda 
solution  in  the  tank,  intermittently  as  required  to  sus- 
tain pressure. 

Distribution  system.  The  contents  of  the  tank  can 
be  discharged  through  a  system  of  sprinkler  heads  and 
piping  similar  to  that  used  in  the  standard  automatic 
sprinkler  system  except  that  the  sizes  of  pipes  are 
limited  to  f  inch,  1}  inch  and  2  inches  and  that  there 
are  no  dead  ends.  The  main  riser  is  2  inches  in  diameter 
and  extends  from  the  bottom  of  the  tank  or  engine  to  near 
the  top  of  the  expansion  chamber  above  the  roof.  On 
each  floor,  IJ-inch  feed  pipes  connect  with  the  riser  and 
connect  with  both  ends  of  the  f-inch  tie  pipes  which  are 
spaced  about  every  10  feet  or  less  and  to  which  the 
sprinkler  heads  are  attached.  The  sprinkler  spacing  is 
about  the  same  as  in  a  standard  automatic  sprinkler 
system.  The  piping  on  each  floor  is  so  installed  as  to 


SYPHO  CHEMICAL  SPRINKLER  SYSTEM        345 

give  proper  drainage  and  venting  to  the  entire  distribut- 
ing system.  This  is  done  so  that-  the  system  can  be 
filled  with  liquid  pumped  in  at  the  base  of  the  riser,  and 
in  so  doing  all  air  in  the  pipes  will  be  driven  out  through 
the  riser  into  the  expansion  chamber  and  when  the  sys- 
tem is  drawn  off  all  liquid  will  drain  through  the  draw- 
off  pipe.  It  is  desirable  that  the  runs  of  f-inch  pipe  be 
limited  to  4  or  5  heads  to  prevent  excessive  friction  loss. 

Sprinkler  heads.  The  piping  system  and  sprinklers 
are  in  contact  for  a  greater  part  of  the  time  with  a  solu- 
tion of  calcium  chloride  and  may  be  at  times  subjected 
to  solutions  of  bicarbonate  of  soda  and  sulphate  of  soda, 
the  latter  being  formed  when  sulphuric  acid  acts  upon 
bicarbonate  of  soda.  Tests  of  the  Underwriters'  Lab- 
oratories show  that  some  types  of  sprinkler  heads  are 
likely  to  leak  after  being  subject,  to  these  solutions  on 
account  of  the  chemical  action.  The  Niagara  B  head  was 
found  to  be  affected  the  least  and  to  be  very  satisfactory 
for  the  purpose.  The  Rockwood  D  heads  withstood  the 
calcium  chloride  solution  satisfactorily  but  showed  some 
leakage  under  action  of  the  other  solution.  All  other 
approved  types  tested  showed  some  leakage  after  con- 
tact for  90  days  with  these  solutions  under  90  pounds 
pressure. 

Expansion  chamber.  This  is  a  somewhat  complicated 
device  consisting  of  three  concentric  chambers,  the  outer 
one,  A,  being  8  inches  in  diameter  by  about  5  feet  long. 
It  has  a  f-inch  overflow  pipe,  (7,  piped  back  to  where  the 
tank  is  located.  The  intermediate  or  vacuum  chamber,  D, 
is  of  tapered  form,  being  4  inches  in  diameter  at  the  top  and 
2|  inches  in  diameter  at  the  bottom.  The  top  is  closed  but 
the  bottom  is  open,  terminating  about  4  inches  above 
the  bottom  of  the  outer  chamber.  The  inner  or  suction 
chamber,  F,  is  a  IJ-inch  pipe,  practically  a  continuation 
of  the  2-inch  riser  J  passing  up  through  the  building  from 
the  tank.  The  inner  chamber  communicates  with  the 


346         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


«t 


EXPANSION  CHAMBER. 
(Sectional  View.) 


SYPHO  CHEMICAL  SPRINKLER  SYSTEM        347 

outer  chamber,  A,  by  i-inch  hole,  B,  located  near  the 
base  of  the  device  to  permit  both  chambers  to  fill  when 
the  system  is  charged,  and  at  the  top  by  a  brass  vent 
tube  having  a  TVinch  orifice.  The  inner  chamber,  F,  is 
also  connected  to  the  intermediate  chamber,  D,  by  a 
f-inch  "  U  "  tube,  E,  known  as  the  detector  tube  whose 
longer  leg  connects  to  the  top  of  the  inner  chamber,  and 
whose  shorter  leg  connects  to  the  top  of  the  intermediate 
chamber,  which  is  about  7  inches  below. 

At  the  top  of  the  inner  chamber,  there  is  a  valve,  G, 
normally  kept  open  by  a  spring  but  closed  by  a  dia- 
phragm when  the  system  has  operated.  This  valve  con- 
trols the  connection  between  the  inner  or  suction  chamber 
and  the  f-inch  tube  H  which  passes  down  inside  the  riser 
to  the  acid  chamber  and  furnishes  the  means  by  which 
the  acid  syphon  in  the  tank  is  started. 

The  expansion  chamber  is  mounted  on  a  suitable  plate 
for  erection  on  the  roof  above  the  building,  and  proper 
brace  rods  are  provided.  Its  office  is  to  operate  the 
system  when  the  level  of  the  solution  in  the  sprinkler 
riser  drops  rapidly,  as  in  the  operation  of  one  or  more 
sprinklers,  or  if  the  level  falls  gradually  as  in  the  case  of  a 
slight  leak.  In  the  latter  case  the  continual  lowering  of 
the  solution  establishes  a  difference  of  pressure  in  the 
inner  and  intermediate  chambers  sufficient  to  overcome 
the  column  of  liquid  in  the  detector  tube,  which  destroys 
the  support  of  the  column  of  liquid  in  the  intermediate 
chamber,  permitting  it  to  fall  rapidly  and  actuate  the 
acid  syphon. 

Gas  check  valve.  There  is  a  small  gas  check  valve  in 
the  top  of  the  expansion  chamber  to  shut  off  the  suction 
line  after  the  tank  has  operated  and  to  prevent  back 
pressure  from  reaching  the  expansion  chamber.  This 
is  a  rubber-faced  valve  operated  by  a  diaphragm. 

Suction  line.  This  is  a  small  pipe,  H,  extending  from 
the  intermediate  acid  receptacle  in  the  dome  through 


348         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

the  riser  into  the  expansion  chamber.  It  is  run  through 
the  riser  to  safeguard  it  against  breakage  or  leaks,  for  if 
this  pipe  should  develop  a  serious  leak  the  system  would 
not  operate  because  the  reduction  in  pressure  in  the  ex- 
pansion chamber  caused  by  the  drop  of  liquid  in  the 
riser  would  vent  itself  through  the  leak  and  would  not 
start  the  acid  syphon. 

A  branch,  called  the  sub-suction  pipe,  extends  from 
the  suction  pipe  in  the  acid  dome  down  into  the  chemical 
engine  or  tank  to  a  point  near  the  bottom.  It  provides 
a  means  for  draining  any  excess  solution  from  the  ex- 
pansion chamber  into  the  tank.  The  lower  end  of  this 
pipe  is  sealed  by  the  socfa  solution  when  the  tank  is 
charged. 

Shut  off  and  check  valve.  In  the  discharge  pipe  close 
to  the  tank  is  located  a  combination  gate  and  check 
valve.  The  check  valve  is  to  prevent  the  solution  of 
calcium  chloride  from  flowing  into  the  chemical  engine. 
The  gate  valve  is  to  shut  off  the  supply  to  the  sprinklers 
when  the  fire  is  out.  The  check  valve  is  of  the  vertical 
rising  type  consisting  of  a  cast-iron  disc  4  inches  in 
diameter  faced  with  rubber  held  in  place  by  a  bronze 
ring.  The  valve  seat  is  of  bronze  threaded  into  a  cast- 
iron  body.  The  check  valve  is  guided  by  a  bronze  stem 
on  the  under  side  passing  through  two  guide  rings. 

There  is  an  automatic  drip  pipe  in  the  riser  just  below 
the  check  valve  arranged  to  care  for  any  leakage  that 
may  get  by  the  check.  There  is  a  plug  in  the  casting 
just  over  the  check  which  can  be  removed  to  clean  and 
examine  the  valve. 

The  gate  valve  consists  of  an  outside  screw  mid  yoke 
type  stem  passing  through  a  stuffing  box  and  arranged 
to  force  the  check  valve  on  to  its  seat  when  the  stem  is 
screwed  in.  There  is  a  locking  mechanism  attached  to 
this  valve  which,  by  means  of  a  diaphragm,  paul  and 
ratchet,  prevents  the  valve  from  being  closed  except 


SYPHO  CHEMICAL  SPRINKLER  SYSTEM        349 

when  there  is  pressure  in  the  tank.  This  is  done  to 
prevent  the  valve  from  being  closed  when  the  system  is 
set  in  its  normal  condition,  that  is  with  the  tank  charged 
and  ready  for  use  but  not  under  operating  pressure. 
When  the  system  operates,  however,  the  pressure  in 
the  tank  and  discharge  pipe  acting  on  the  diaphragm 
allows  this  valve  to  be  closed. 

Alarm  valve.  There  is  an  alarm  valve  attachment 
consisting  of  an  electric  bell  and  a  water  motor  gong  of 
the  same  type  as  those  used  in  a  standard  sprinkler 
system.  The  alarm  pipe  is  connected  to  the  discharge 
pipe  just  above  the  tank  and  below  the  check  valve. 
It  runs  to  a  casting  containing  a  circuit  closer  for  oper- 
ating the  electric  bell  and  also  a  diaphragm  operating  a 
valve  connected  to  a  pipe  from  a  reliable  independent 
water  supply.  When  the  system  operates  and  a  pressure 
is  created  in  the  tank,  this  pressure  operates  the  circuit 
closer  and  also  opens  the  valve  to  the  independent  water 
supply,  thus  allowing  water  from  this  source  to  flow  to 
the  water  motor  gong  and  ring  it. 

CHARGING 

It  is  planned  to  ship  the  solutions  of  calcium  chloride 
and  of  bicarbonate  of  soda  to  the  plant  in  drums  and  to 
have  them  used  only  by  trained  men.  After  cleaning 
the  tank,  the  check  valve  is  cleaned  and  placed  on  its 
seat.  Then  the  calcium  chloride  solution  is  slowly  intro- 
duced into  the  distributing  pipes,  in  which  a  vacuum  has 
been  created  through  a  connection  at  the  base  of  the 
riser,  until  the  system  is  filled. 

The  gate  valve  in  the  end  of  the  overflow  pipe  is  then 
sealed  closed.  Great  care  must  be  taken  in  filling  the 
system  that  all  entrapped  air  is  forced  out  at  the  top  of 
the  system  as  a  considerable  amount  of  air  in  the  pipes 
would  expand  when  a  sprinkler  opened,  thus  retarding 
the  drop  in  level  of  the  liquid  and  the  operation  of  the 


350         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

syphon.  The  lower  end  of  the  discharge  pipe  in  the 
tank  and  the  ball  drip  should  be  carefully  examined  to 
make  sure  that  the  check  valve  is  tight. 

The  charge  of  soda  solution  is  then  pumped  into  the 
tank  to  the  proper  level.  Lastly  the  acid  charge  of  189 
fluid  ounces  for  the  lower  receptacles  and  77  ounces  for 
the  upper  receptacle  is  poured  in  and  the  acid  dome 
bolted  in  place. 

TESTS  AND  EXAMINATIONS 

The  more  important  tests  and  examinations  of  the 
system  are  as  follows: 

1.  General  condition  of  piping,  sprinklers  and  tank. 

2.  Condition  of  shut-off  valve  and  ball  drip. 

3.  Condition  of  acid  and  of  soda  solution.     These  can 
be  accurately  tested  by  hydrometers. 

4.  See  that  acid  vent  plugs  are  in  place. 

5.  Condition  of  expansion  tank  and  level  of  solution 
in  same. 

6.  Test  of  alarm  connections. 

INSTALLATION  AND  MAINTENANCE 

The  Sypho  Chemical  Sprinkler  Corporation  proposes 
to  license  responsible  sprinkler  companies  to  install  and 
maintain  this  system.  The  devices  will  be  rented  and 
not  sold.  As  soon  as  the  work  is  completed  and  accepted, 
the  Sypho  Chemical  Company  will  assume  the  responsi- 
bility of  inspecting  the  system.  This  will  involve  peri- 
odic inspection  by  trained  inspectors  at  which  the  acid 
will  be  examined,  the  solutions  tested  for  density  and  a 
general  inspection  of  the  device  made.  Exthi  charges 
of  acid  and  the  solutions  used  should  be  available  at  all 
times  so  that  the  device  can  be  recharged  without  delay. 

In  case  the  system  operates,  the  nearest  representative 
of  the  installing  company  will  be  notified  by  some  pre- 
arranged method  and  a  man  will  be  sent  to  recharge  the 


SYPHO  CHEMICAL  SPRINKLER  SYSTEM        351 

system.     Under  no  conditions  should  anyone  else  at- 
tempt to  recharge  the  system. 

FIELD  EXPERIENCE 

A  few  of  these  systems  have  been  installed  during  the 
past  year  in  New  England  and  elsewhere.  The  field 
experience,  however,  has  been  too  limited  to  allow  a  fair 
estimate  of  the  value  of  the  device. 

The  only  fire  known  to  have  occurred  under  this 
form  of  protection  was  in  the  jewelry  store  of  Thomas 
Long  Company,  Boston,  April  22,  1918.  This  is  a  small 
six-story  brick  building  completely  equipped  and  with 
tank  on  the  top  floor.  A  room  in  the  basement  about 
16  feet  square  was  used  as  a  packing  room  and  con- 
tained a  quantity  of  loose  excelsior,  paper,  old  boxes 
and  a  bale  of  excelsior.  There  were  seven  sprinklers 
(Niagara  B)  in  the  room,  one  being  under  a  stone  stair- 
way leading  to  an  exterior  door.  Fire  started  in  the 
waste  material  early  in  the  afternoon  and  employees 
were  notified  by  feeble  ringing  of  electric  bell  connected 
to  the  system.  The  rotary  gong  failed  and  was  found 
afterwards  to  be  clogged.  Fire  department  was  called 
and  extinguished  remaining  blaze  with  a  chemical 
stream. 

Two  sprinklers  had  opened  and  held  the  fire  but  there 
is  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  whether  they  entirely 
extinguished  it.  The  tank  was  entirely  drained.  Loss 
about  $75. 

CONCLUSIONS 

1.  This  device  is  simple  in  principle  though  more  or 
less  complicated  in  details.     It  operates  with  practically 
no  moving  parts  and  there  is  but  little  about  it  that  is 
liable  to  get  out  of  order. 

2.  It  is  difficult  to  recharge  properly  and  it  is  quite 
essential  that  all  systems  be  maintained  by  agents  of 


352          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

the  installing  company  who  are  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  details  and  who  will  give  it  careful  supervision. 

3.  Unless  excessively  long  tie  pipes  are  used  such  a 
system  should  successfully  control  about  50  per  cent  of 
all  fires  that  are  likely  to  occur  in  risks  equipped  with  it, 
for  the  statistics  on  sprinkler  fires  covering  20  years  show 
that  about  50  per  cent  of  the  fires  are  controlled  by  3 
sprinklers  or  less.     If  limited  to  risks  of  light  hazard  and 
small  size  a  larger  percentage  of  fires  should  be  con- 
trolled.    Care  should  be  taken  that  not  over  5  heads 
are  placed  on  one  {-inch  tie  pipe. 

4.  The  protection  would  seem  to  be  adapted  for  fac- 
tories and  mercantile  risks  where  high  ceilings  do  not 
obtain,  where  flash  fires  are  not  liable  to  occur  and  where 
the  installation  is  so  made  that  no  undue  loss  of  pressure 
shall  result  from  pipe  friction;   and  particularly  adapted 
for  such  properties  as  country  clubs  and  country  homes, 
where  an  adequate  water  supply  is  not  easily  obtained. 

5.  The  solution  in  the  pipes  is  non-freezing  and  the 
device  is  therefore  adapted  to  unheated  buildings  pro- 
vided only  that  the  tank  is  properly  protected  against 
frost  and  not  allowed  to  get  too  cold. 

6.  Further  field  experience  is  needed  to  judge  of  the 
final  merits  of  the  system. 


APPENDIX  I 

Alphabetical  List  of  Automatic  Sprinklers 
ADAM 

Mm.  Wauquier  et  cie,  Lille,  France. 

Upright  valve  sprinkler  resembling  the  Grinnell  glass 
disc  in  principle.  Orifice  a  thin  metal  diaphragm  closed 
by  a  glass  disc.  The  strut  is  made  up  of  several  pieces 
and  is  adjustable.  Small  toothed  deflector. 

Not  used  outside  of  France  so  far  as  known. 

ADKINS  . 

Samuel  Adkins,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

1-1895.  Valve  sprinkler.  Valve  of  agate  held  in 
place  by  levers  in  the  form  of  a  triangle. 


ADKINS:-!  ADKINS-2 

2-1895.     Valve   sprinkler.     Valve   held   in   place  by 
strut. 

Both  obsolete.     Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

.ETNA 

JEtna  Fire  Sprinkler  Co.,  Chicago. 

Combined  with   Independent  ^Etna   Sprinkler   Co.  of 
Philadelphia  in  1918. 

Used  the  Lapham  sprinkler  at  one  time. 

353 


354         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Cast- 


ALBION 

Greenwood  &  Bailey,  Ltd.,  England. 

Upright,  valve  sprinkler.  Metal  valve 
disc  held  in  place  by  toggle  joint  levers. 
Very  similar  to  the  International  Sprink- 
ler. Never  used  in  America  so  far  as 
known. 

Now  practically  obsolete.  l ALBION. j 

ALLEN  AND  REED 

Allen  and  Reed,  Providence,  R.  I. 

1-1906.     Upright  valve'  sprinkler  with   strut 
iron  frame. 

Never  used  to  any  extent. 

Rating:  Questionable. 

2-1911.  Upright  valve  sprinkle:, 
almost  a  duplicate  of  the  Grinnell  glass 
disc  head.  A  few  were  installed  but 
soon  afterwards  removed. 

Rating:  Questionable. 

3-1912.  Similar  to  No.  2  but  with 
strut  split  at  the  base. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

Rating:  Questionable. 

ALERT 

See  Naylor. 

ALEXANDER 

D.  A.  Alexander  Automatic  Sprinkler 
Co.,  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

A-i9i8  upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve 
held  in  place  by  strut.  Not  yet  sub- 
mitted to  the  Underwriters'  Laborato- 
ries. 

Note:  This  company  also  has  a  dry  valve 
consisting  of  two  valves  on  the  opposite  ends 
of  an  arm  pivoted  in  the  center. 


ALLEN  &  REED 
2. 


ALEXANDER  A. 


APPENDIX    I  355 


ALLIS 

Allis  Fire  Extinguisher  Com- 
pany, 198  Milwaukee 
Street,  Milwaukee,  Wis. 

A-igi6.  Upright  valve 
sprinkler.  Solid  valve  cap 
with  copper  washer  held  in 
place  by  toggle  joint  levers 
and  link.  Link  composed  of 
two  flat  plates  containing  op- 
posed projections  between 
which  a  key  is  inserted. 

Combined  with  Independ- 
ent-^Etna  Sprinkler  Co.  of 
Philadelphia,  1918. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 


AMERICAN 

American  Sprinkler  Co.,  Chicago,  III. 

1892.  Valve  held  in  place  by  hori- 
zontal arm.  Arm  held  at  each  end 
by  a  soldered  joint  pinned  to  an 
angular  projection.  Perforated  and 
slotted  deflector.  Threaded  for  a 
f-inch  fitting. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 


A.  F.  M. 

A-ipiS.  Designed  in  the  Inspection  De- 
partment of  the  Associated  Factory  Mutual 
Insurance  Companies,  Boston.  Patents  sold 
to  the  Fire  Protection  Securities  Co.  of  Bos- 
ton. To  be  manufactured  ,and  sold  by  the 
Kellogg^lackay  Equipment  Co.  of  Chicago, 
on  a  cost  plus  reasonable  profit  basis.  G.  M. 
Parks  Co.  of  Fitchburg,  Mass.,  will  be  New 
England  agents. 


356         AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 

The  sprinkler  is  of  the  ordinary  lever  and  link  pattern 
of  the  same  general  idea  as  the  International  head,  but 
the  details  have  not  yet  been  made  public.  It  is  expected 
that  the  sprinkler  will  be  available  for  installation  about 
October,  1918. 

A  dry  valve  is  also  being  developed  by  the  same  in- 
terests. 
ASSOCIATED 

Associated    Automatic    Sprinkler    Co.,    2218    Vine    St., 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 


B 

ASSOCIATED  SPRINKLER. 

A-IQI3.  Practically  a  duplicate  of  the  International 
sprinkler  except  that  the  frame  bulges  more  at  the  top 
and  the  corrugations  in  the  link  are  at  an  angle  of 
90  degrees. 

Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  Septem- 
ber, 1913.  Field  experience  satisfactory.  Replaced  by 
issue  B,  August,  1914. 

Rating:  Satisfactory. 

6-1914.  Similar  to  type  A  but  with  a  ne\v  deflector 
made  of  No.  14  B.  &  S.  gauge  bronze,  containing  9 
notches  and  3  holes.  Upper  end  of  compression  screw 
practically  flush  with  deflector. 

Approved  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  August, 
1914.  Withdrawn  April,  1916;  manufacture  discon- 


APPENDIX  I  357 

tinued.     Company    combined    with    Globe    Automatic 
Sprinkler  Co.     Field  experience  satisfactory. 

Rating:  Satisfactory. 
"AUTOMATIC"   SPRINKLER  CO.   OF  AMERICA 

Executive  Offices,  123  William  St.,  New   York. 

This  company  was  formed  in  May,  1911,  and  was  a 
consolidation  of  the  Manufacturers  Automatic  Sprinkler 
Co.,  the  Niagara  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  and  the  Inter- 
national Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  The  company  con- 
trols the  following  approved  sprinklers:  Manufacturers, 
Niagara,  International.  Since  1913  this  company  man- 
ufactured the  Lapham  B  sprinkler  for  the  ^Etna  Fire 
Sprinkler  Co.  of  Chicago,  but  it  does  not  install  the  device. 

See  Manufacturers,  Niagara,  International. 
BABCOCK 

Patented  by  E.  F.  Steck  of  Chicago.     Assigned  to  the 
Fire  Extinguisher  Manufacturing  Co.  of  Chicago. 

1900.  This  was  an  upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve 
was  hollow  and  held  in  place  by.  a  strut  somewhat 
resembling  that  in  the  Grinnell  glass  disc  head.  Per- 
forated deflector  located  inside  the  frame.  Under- 
writers' Laboratories  Report  in  1902  criticized: 

(1)  Leaking  point,  (2)  effects  of  corrodon  and  loading,  (3)  releas- 
ing device,  (4)  deflector,  (5)  disc,  (6)  structural  weakness,  (7)  distri- 
bution, (8)  solder  in  high  test  pattern. 

A  few  thousand  were  installed  from  1897 
to  1904  but  field  experience  was  unsatisfac- 
tory. 

Tests  of  the  Underwriters'  Bureau  of 
New  England  between  1909  and  1912  of 
clean  heads  taken  from  the  field;  9  failed 
out  of  18  tested.  These  heads  have  now  w 

been  mostly  replaced. 

Present  rating:  Unreliable. 

See  also  Steck. 

Note:  There  was  a  previous  sprinkler  patented  in  1897  with  a 
toothed  deflector  located  on  outside  of  frame.  This  was  not  used 
so  far  as  known. 


358 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


BACH 

Patented  by  N.  S:  Bach  of  Boston. 

1876.  A  rose  sprinkler  covered  with  a  cap.  The  cap 
was  held  in  place  by  four  hinged  levers.  The  levers 
were  held  together  by  a  cord  wound  around  them  and 
then  running  to  the  adjacent  head.  The  burning  of  the 
cord  opened  the  heads. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

BARNES 

Charles  Barnes  of  Dayton,  Ky.,  and  Cincinnati,  0.  Some 
manufactured  by  /.  /.  Covington  of  the  same  city. 

A-i87Q.  Perforated  bulb  head  with  valve.  Valve 
held  in  place  by  spindle  which  was  threaded  to  a  nut,  the 
nut  being  soldered  to  the  lower  side  of  the  casting. 
Never  used  so  far  as  known.  See  page  25. 

1-1881.  Perforated  bulb  type.  This  was  a  valve 
spnnkler,  the  valve  being  held  by  a  spindle  resting 
against  a  hinged  lever.  The  lever  was  held  to  the 
frame  by  a  latch  of  low-fusing  solder.  Distribution  was 
from  a  perforated  bulb  and  was  therefore  poor.  Used 
to  a  very  limited  extent.  Crude  and  subject  to  leakage; 
easily  damaged  and  clogged.  See  page  25. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating :    Unreliable. 


BARNES:-! 

(Section.) 


APPENDIX  I  359 

2-1885.  Long  side  lever  type.  This  was  a  valve 
sprinkler,  the  valve  being  held  in  place  by  a  long  lever 
hooked  to  the  frame  at  one  end  and  attached  to  a  pro- 
jection on  the  frame  by  a  link  at  the  other  end.  Rotat- 
ing deflector  and  valve  were  all  one  piece.  Used  to  a 
moderate  extent.  Crude  and  easily  damaged. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

BEECH 

Patented  by  Handel  Beech  of  Oldham,  England,  later  of 
Monson,  Mass.  Bought  out  by  Dowson  &  Taylor 
Co. 

1899.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve 
was  a  semi-spherical  metal  button  and  was 
held  in  place  by  a  five-piece  strut  with 
small  " sugar  tongs"  release.  Threaded  for 
J-inch  fitting. 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  Report,  1905, 
criticized : 

1.  Susceptibility  to  corrosion  and  loading.  2.  Lack  of  sharp- 
ness in  operating.  3.  Possibility  of  readjustment  in  the  field. 
4.  Construction  of  seat. 

Never  used  in  this  country  so  far  as  known. 

BIRKETT 

1883.  Valve  sprinkler  with  large  hollow  perforated 
distributor.  Valve  spindle  held  in  place  by  horizontal 
bar  soldered  across  a  circular  opening  at  the  end  of  the 
casting. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

BISHOP 

John  W.  Bishop,  New  Haven,  Conn. 

Bishop  heads  were  installed  by  J.  F.  Gilbert  &  Co. 
of  New  Haven,  Conn.,  as  early  as  1880.  The  risks  of 


360 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION- 


sprinkler. 


A.  H.  &  C.  B.  Ailing,  Derby,  Conn.,  and  Montgomery 
Yarn  Mills,  Windsor  Locks,  Conn.,  were  equipped  about 
that  time.  Also  the  buildings  of  the  Atlanta  Exposition. 
Some  "Bishop  heads  were  installed  by  Foskett  &  Bishop 
previous  to  1882  and  later  the  New  Haven  Automatic 
Sprinkler  Co.  and  the  New  York  &  New  Haven  Auto- 
matic Sprinkler  Co.  installed  these  heads. 

A-I&79.  Pendent,  water-joint  or  "  sealed  " 
Slotted  rotating  distributor.  Arrangement 
for  letting  out  air  in  sprinkler  pipe  to  pre- 
vent disturbance  of  alarm  by  momentum  of 
water  or  water  hammer.  See  page  26. 

1-1883.  Pendent,  water-joint  type.  In- 
terior slotted  distributor.  Cap  about  J-inch 
diameter  soldered  to  outside  of  head.  Direct 
strain  on  solder.  See  page  26. 

4-1883.     Similar  to  No.   1  except  that  a 
thimble  was  soldered  to  the  interior  of  the 
outlet  instead  of  a  cap  on  the  outside.     A  slightly  more 
sensitive  head.     Direct  strain  on  solder.     See  page  26. 

2-1884.     Pendent,    water-joint    head.     Thimble    so1- 
dered  to  inside  of  outlet.     Deflector  with  perforated  ecg 


BISHOP--2 


BISHOP-21 


held  close  .to  orifice  by  light  spring.  Pushed  away  by 
water  when  head  opened,  f-inch  fitting.  Direct  strain 
on  solder.  See  page  26. 


APPENDIX  I 


361 


2^-1884.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  spindle 
held  in  place  by  thimble  soldered  to  inside  of  tube.  De- 
flector with  perforated  edge  held  close  to  orifice,  f-inch 
fitting.  Direct  strain  on  solder.  See  page  45. 


uBISHOP-2i 


BISHOPS.. 


2^-1885.  Similar  to  No.  2J  except  frame  was  all  one 
casting.  Threaded  for  f-  or  J-inch  fitting. 

3-1885.  Similar  to  No.  2J  except  for  circular  piece 
below  deflector.  J-  and  f-inch  fitting.  Direct  strain 
on  solder.  See  page  46. 

3^-1887.  Patented  by  R.  W.  Miller  and  assigned  to 
New  York  &  New  Haven  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  of 
New  York.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Similar  to  No.  2J 
except  that  valve  stem  rested  against  shoulders  on  two 
hinged  levers.  Levers  held  together  by  link. 

4-1888.  Similar  in  shape  to  No.  3  except  that  there 
were  levers  and  links  as  in  No.  3^. 

The  earlier  types  were  subject  to  breaking  open  on 
account  of  the  direct  strain  on  the  solder  and  were  slow 
in  action.  Later  types  subject  to  corrosion.  All  types 
crude  and  easily  stuck. 

All  obsolete. 

Present  rating:  Very  unreliable. 


362 


AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 


BISHOP 

Joseph  Bishop,  Meriden,  Conn. 

1897.     Valve    sprinkler.     Metal    valve    cap    held    in 

place  by  short  toggle-joint  levers  secured  by  a  solder 

pin.     Large  toothed  and  perforated  deflector. 
Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

BLAUVELT.     See  Phenix. 

BROWN 

Joseph  R.  Brown,  Bridgeport,  Conn.  Assigned  to  Auto- 
matic Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  of  New  York.  Manu- 
factured by  Foskett  &  Bishop  Co.  of  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  and  Automatic  Fire  Alarm  and  Extinguisher 
Co.  of  New  York. 

1-1881.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  In- 
terior valve  held  in  place  by  spindle  run- 
ning through  interior  guide  and  attached 
to  deflector.  Deflector  soldered  into  con- 
ical shaped  recess  in  base  of  casting.  Was 
used  to.  a  considerable  extent. 

Very  slow  in  operation.  Crude  and  not 
sensitive.  See  page  30. 

Obsolete. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

Note:   There  was  apparently  another  and  older  type  similar  to 
No.  1  but  of  the  water  seal  type  without  any  interior  valve. 

2-1883.     Pendent  valve  sprinkler.     Similar  to  above 
except  that  deflector  was  not  soldered 
in  place  but  was  held  by  a  strut  and 
two     hinged     levers.     Levers     soldered 
together  at  lower  side.     See  page  30. 

Obsolete. 
.Rating:    Unreliable. 

3-18.84.      Pendent      valve      sprinkler 
with     two     opposed     outlets.     Orifices 
closed  by  valves  held  by  a  single  strut         .BROWH=2 
bearing  on  each  valve.    Probably  not  much  used,  if  at  all. 

Obsolete. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 


BROWN--1 


APPENDIX  I  363 

BROWN  &  FOSKETT 

J.  R.  Brown  and  Wm.  A.  Foskett  of  New  Haven. 

1-1875.  Elbow  head  with  perforated  distributor. 
Sealed  by  soldered  disc  insulated  from  the  water  by  a 
core  of  non-conducting  wax. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

2-1875.  Elbow  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held  in  place 
by  spindle  bearing  against  cap  soldered  to  end  of  cast- 
ing. Coiled  spring  to  assist  in  opening  the  valve. 
Solder  under  direct  strain.  See  page  21. 

Obsolete. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 
BUEL 
James  Buel,  Woburn,  Mass. 

1885.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  with  deflector  at- 
tached to  valve  stem.  Deflector  had  raised  perforated 
rim.  Valve  held  in  place  by  three  horizontal  hooked 
levers. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 
BUELL 

Charles  E.  Buell,  New  Haven,  Conn.  Afterwards  of 
Plainfield,  N.  J.  Installed  by  Buell  and  Thomp- 
son, New  York,  Buell  Automatic  Alarm  and  Fire 
Extinguisher  Co.,  Buell  Electric  &  Hydraulic  Manu- 
facturing Co.,  New  York,  and  others. 

The  Buell  system  included  dry  valves  and  alarm  valves; 
also  some  of  the  sprinklers  had  alarm  attachments. 


ELL-L 

BUELL--2 


364         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

1-1873.  Pendent,  elbow  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held 
in  place  by  stem- bearing  against  a  " sugar  tongs"  lever. 
Ends  of  levers  soldered  together  and  insulated  from 
casting  by  chip  of  wood.  Flat  circular  deflector.  See 
page  24. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


.     BUELL--3  BUELL-4 


1^-1884.  Valve  sprinkler  with  valve  held  in  place  by 
levers  attached  to  fusible  nut.  Distribution  from  two 
arms  with  holes  at  upper  and  lower  side  opposite  each 
other. 

Obsolete. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

2-1884.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  of  drop  deflector 
type.  Valve  held  closed  by  levers.  Electric  alarm  at- 
tachment. 

Obsolete. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

3-1884.  Pendent,  double  outlet  sprinkler  of  circular 
form,  water  feeding  lower  outlet  from  both  directions. 
No  deflector.  Water  distributed  by  two  opposing 
streams  striking  each  other.  Both  valves  were  held 
closed  by  the  same  levers,  one  lever  being  soldered  to 
a  thin  projection  on  the  head.  See  page  46. 

Obsolete. 

Rating:    Unreliable 


APPENDIX  I 


365 


4-1885.  Pendent,  double  outlet  sprinkler  similar  to 
No.  3  except  that  frame  was  semi-circular  and  water 
only  came  in  one  direction  to  lower  outlet.  See  page  47. 

Obsolete. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

5-1886.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  with  fixed  smooth 
deflector.  Valve  stem  extended  through  deflector  and 


BUELL--5 


BOELL--6 


was  held  by  hooked  levers  soldered  together.    Used 
extensively.     See  page  47. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

6-1892.  Similar  to  above  but  a  shorter  head  with  a 
toothed  deflector.  Distribution  defective  under  joisted 
construction.  Used  extensively.  Recent  tests  show  this 
head  to  be  unreliable.  Most  of  these  heads  have  now 
been  replaced. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


Hollow  valve  cap 


7-1896.     Upright  valve  sprinkler, 
held  in  place  by  two-piece  strut. 
Small  scalloped  deflector. 
Never  used  so  far  as  known. 


Note:  Mr.  Buell  patented  several  other  sprinklers  between 
1905  and  1907  most  of  which  were  assigned  to  the  General  Fire 
Extinguisher  Co.  and  were  never  used  so  far  as  known. 


366         AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


BURRITT 

Albert  M.  Burritt',  Waterbury,  Conn.     Made  and  installed 
by  the  A.  Burritt  Hardware  Co.,  Waterbury,  Conn. 

1-1881.  Water-joint  sprinkler  with  per- 
forated rose  distributor.  A  thimble  was 
soldered  to  the  inside  of  the  head.  A  loose 
cap  covered  the  distributor  to  keep  out 
dust.  Crude  and  not  sensitive.  Direct 
strain  on  solder.  See  page  28. 

Obsolete. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

Note:   The  patent,  which  was  assigned  to  the 
A.  Burritt  Hardware  Co.,  also  covered  an  arrange- 
ment by  which  the  thimble  could  be  omitted  and  the  cap  soldered 
on  to  make  the  water  joint. 

2-1882.  Similar  to  No.  1  but  with  open  base;  that 
is,  the  distributor  was  set  a  short  distance  away  from 
the  orifice  by  metal  brackets.  Crude  and  not  sensitive. 
Direct  strain  on  solder.  See  page  27. 

Obsolete. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 


BURRITT-1 


BURRIH 


3-1883.  Sensitive  or  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held  in 
place  by  spindle  bearing  against  a  lever  which  was 
hooked  at  one  end  and  soldered  to  the  frame  at  the 
other  end.  When  open  the  water  struck  the  valve 


APPENDIX  I  367 

and  was  thrown  back  against  a  slotted  deflector.     See 
page  28. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 
All  three  types  used  to  some  extent. 
CATARACT 

Patented  by  Charles  W.  Kersteter  in  March,  1903. 
Manufactured   by   the  Automatic  Sprinkler   Equipment 
Co.  of  Chicago,  III. 

A-iQo6.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  with  diaphragm 
orifice.  Valve  disc  seated,  on  raised  seat  and  was  held 
in  place  by  a  strut.  Large  toothed  deflector.  Criti- 
cized by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  as  follows: 

1.  Adhesion  of  cap.  2.  Unreliability  of  releasing  device.  3. 
Construction  details. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 
Rating :    Unreliable. 

•  i 


CATARACT--A 

8-1907.  Similar  to  type  A  but  with  a  modified  form 
of  deflector  and  strut.  Tests  showed  unreliability  of 
releasing  device. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 
CLAPP  ' 
Joseph  Clapp,  Evanston,  III. 

Manufactured  by  the  Clapp  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  oj 

Chicago,  III. 

1-1887.  Single-arm  type.  Upright  valve  sprinkler. 
Valve  held  in  place  by  lever  attached  to  frame  by  small 


368          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

link.  Fixed  deflector  supported  by  arm.  Used  to  some 
extent  in  this  and  a  slightly  modified  form.  Easily 
damaged.  Faulty  distribution.  See  page  48. 

Out  of  68  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories 16  per  cent  failed. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


CLAPP-2 


1^-1889.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  of  modern  design. 
Valve  cap  held  in  place  by  strut  consisting  of  several 
pieces.  Fixed  cone-shaped  deflector.  Never  used  so  far 
as  known. 

2-1890.  Similar  to  No.  1|  but  with  flat  three-piece 
strut  and  flatter  deflector.  Cap  and  deflector  criticized 
by  Underwriters'  Laboratories.  Used  to  considerable 
extent.  Largely  replaced.  See  page  48. 

Present  rating:  Doubtful. 

CLARK    &   COOPER 

Patented  by  W.  L.  Cooper,  Spigners,  Ala.,  1903. 
Manufactured  by  Globe  Cotton  Mills,  Augusta^  Ga. 

1904.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  was  of  glass 
or  hard  rubber  and  of  spherical  form.  It  was  held  in 
place  by  a  lever  hooked  at  the  lower  end  and  soldered 
at  the  upper  end.  The  solder  joint  was  reinforced  by 
s°  *T  rivets.  Deflector  held  by  an  arm.  Submitted  to 


APPENDIX   I  •  •  369 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  and  practically  all  features 
were  criticized.     Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

CLAYTON 

E.  S.  Clayton,  Newark,  N.  J. 
Independent  Fire  Extinguisher  Co. 

1906.  Upright  valve  sprinkler. 
Diaphragm  with  raised  seat.  Metal 
valve  disc  held  in  orifice  by  strut  with 
a  horizontal  projection. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

CLAYTON     | 

COMINS 

Frank  B.  Comins,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 

1885.  Valve  sprinkler  with  conical  shaped  valve  disc 
and  fixed  deflector.  Valve  held  in  place  by  two-piece 
lever  soldered  to  projection  on  casting. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

CONANT 

Hezekiah  Conant,  Pawtucket,  R.  I. 

1875.  Valve  sprinkler  with  perforated  rose  distribu- 
tor. Globe  type  of  valve  used,  the  spindle  being  hori- 
zontal and  held  in  place  by  light  combustible  cord. 
Operated  by  burning  of  cord.  Also  knife  attachment 
with  handle  hanging  down  for  cutting  the  cord  by  hand. 
Installed  only  at  Mr.  Conant's  thread  mill  in  Pawtucket. 
But  few  made.  See  page  22. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:  Very  unreliable. 

COOK 

See  Kersteter. 


370         AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

CROWDER 

Crowder  Bros.,  St\  Louis,  Mo. 

1903-1908.  Eight  experimental  samples  submitted 
for  approval.  All  were  criticized  by  the  Underwriters' 
Laboratories. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

A-I9O9.  Upright  valve  sprinkler 
somewhat  resembling  the  Interna- 
tional sprinkler  except  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  link  which  consists 
of  two  flat  plates  f  inch  wide  with 
opposed  grooves  filled  with  solder. 

Rating:  Standard.  ^ CROWDER- A 

DALY 

M.  J.  Daly  &  Sons,  Waterbury,  Conn. 

1899.  Valve  sprinkler.  Metal  valve  disc  with  mica 
washer  held  in  place  by  adjusting  screw  passing  through 
a  horizontal  lever.  One  end  of  lever  hooked  to  inside  of 
frame.  The  other  end  held  by  fusible  strut  under  com- 
pression. Loose  revolving  deflector. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

DANIELS 

1896.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Metal  valve  disc 
held  by  strut.  Large  revolving  deflector. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

DETROIT 

Detroit  Sprinkler  and  Chemical  Fire  Extinguisher  Co., 
Chicago,  III. 

1903.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Metal  valve  disc 
held  by  strut  similar  to  that  in  the  Clapp  sprinkler. 
Small  slotted  deflector  attached  to  the  inside  of  the 
frame. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 


APPENDIX  I 


371 


DIXON 

John  H.  Dixon,  Erie,  Pa. 

1-1903.  Upright,  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  and  de- 
flector in  one  piece.  Interior  spindle  held  by  guide. 
Undeveloped  experimental  device  submitted  to  the  Un- 
derwriters' Laboratories  for  approval.  Practically  all 
features  criticized. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

2-1904.  Altered  sample  submitted  for  approval. 
Practically  all  features  criticized. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

DODGE 

1904.  Upright,  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  cap  held  in 
place  by  curved  levers,  attached  to  a  projection  at  the 
top  of  the  frame  by  a  fusible  member.  Toothed  deflec- 
tor attached  to  inside  of  frame. 

Never  used. 

DORAIS 

Evan  Almivall  &  Co.,  New  York. 

1910.  Upright,  valve  sprinkler.  Metal  valve  disc 
held  in  place  by  levers.  End  of  levers  held  apart  by  a 
compression  strut  composed  of  several  pieces.  Toothed 
deflector  attached  to  inside  of  frame. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 


DOUBLE   LOCK 

The  Double  Lock  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co., 
Chicago,  III. 

1911.  Upright,  valve  sprinkler.  Metal 
valve  disc  held  by  levers.  Ends  of  levers 
held  apart  by  a  compression  strut  similar 
to  that  in  Dorais.  Criticized  by  Under- 
writers' Laboratories  in  July  1911,  as 
follows: 


DOUBLE  LOCK. 


372         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 

1.  Principles  of  operation. 

2.  Reliability  of  operation. 

3.  Effects  of  loading  and  corrosion. 

4.  Possibility  of  premature  opening. 

5.  Inability  to  withstand  ordinary  abuse. 

6.  Distribution. 

7.  Lack  of  uniformity  of  manufacture. 

8.  Construction  details. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 


DRAPER 

1884.  Patented  by  F.  H.  Prentiss  of  Boston. 

1890.  Patented  by  A.  T.  Gifford. 

1884.  Made  by  the  Draper  Co.  of  Hopedale,  Mass. 

Interior  valve  opening  against  water  pressure.     Valve 


JRAPER 

(Differential.) 

spindle  extended  to  the  upper  side  of  a  small  closed 
receptacle  with  corrugated  sides  containing  volatile 
hydrocarbon.  When  the  contents  expanded  from  heat 
the  sides  were  forced  apart  and  the  valve  was  thrown 
up  from  its  seat.  Water  distributed  from  a  flat  plate 
with  a  thin  corrugated  ring  to  break  up  the  stream. 
Used  to  a  limited  extent  and  submitted  for  approval 


APPENDIX  I  373 

in  England  under  the  name  Draper-Hetherington. 
Extremely  subject  to  corrosion.  See  page  34. 

Obsolete. 

Rating:    Very  unreliable. 

1889.  "  Differential  "  type.  Valve  sprinkler,  the  de- 
vice being  in  the  form  of  a  cross  pipe  fitting  with  a  valve 
and  orifice  at  the  lower  end.  Valve  held  in  place  by 
spindle  soldered  to  a  sleeve  entering  vertically  from  the 
top  of  the  device.  Flat  iron  deflector  supported  in 
front  of  orifice. 

An  attempt  was  also  made  to  use  bitumen  instead  of 
solder  to  make  the  device'  more  sensitive.  This  was 
not  a  success  as  it  was  not  strong  enough.  A  few  were 
put  on  the  market. 

Obsolete. 

Rating:  Unreliable. 

ESTY 

William  Esty,  Laconia,  N.H.     Made  by  Esty  Sprinkler  Co. 

of  Laconia,  N.H.    Installed  by  H.  G.   Vogel  Co.,  New 

York,  and  others. 


ESTY-1  ESTY-2 


1-1895.  Plain.  Upright,  valve  sprinkler.  Metal  valve 
cap,  with  oiled  paper  washer,  held  in  place  by  duck-bill 
levers.  Flat  surfaces  soldered  together.  Revolving  de- 
flector perforated  and  toothed.  See  page  62. 

2-1895.  Corrugated.  Same  as  No.  1  but  with  sol- 
dered surfaces  of  duck-bill  corrugated. 


374         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


3-1895.  Cone.  Same  as  No.  1  but  with  cone  or  knob 
soldered  to  outer  end  of  duck  bill. 

4-1895.  Pin.  Same  as  No.  1  but  with  solder  pin  ex- 
tending through  ends  of  duck  bill. 


ESIY-3. 


ESTY-4 


4^-1895.  Same  as  No.  1  but  with  bent  wire  soldered 
over  end  of  duck  bill. 

All  the  above  types  were  experimental  and  but  little 
used.  Liable  to  open  prematurely. 

Rating:  Unreliable. 


EO1 


ESTY--5 


5-189$.  Spring.  Same  as  No.  1  but  with^cavity  cut 
between  duck  bills  in  which  was  inserted  a  steel  spring. 
Cavity  filled  with  wax  except  in  the  high  test  heads. 
Solder  joint  strengthened  by  a  wire  running  under  a 
ledge  on  the  lower  duck  bill  and  over  a  groove  in  the  end 
of  the  upper  duck  bill. 


APPENDIX  I  375 

Criticized  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  as  fol- 
lows: 

1.  Releasing  device.  2.  Solder  in  high  degree  pattern.  3. 
Disc.  4.  Cap. 

Generally  approved  by  local  boards.  Field  experience 
fairly  satisfactory.  Not  defective  except  in  corrosive 
locations.  Distribution  unusually  good.  See  page  62. 

Out  of  51  recently  tested  6  per  cent  failed. 

Rating:   Not  standard,  generally  satisfactory. 

6-1903.     Similar  to  No.  5  but  with  fixed  deflector. 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  Report,  1904,  makes  simi- 
lar criticism  as  for  No.  5.  Field  experience  fairly  satis- 
factory. Not  standard  but  not  considered  defective. 

Out  of  30  recently  tested  2  failed. 

Rating:  Not  standard,  generally  satisfactory. 


ESTY--6  ESTY--B 

6-1912.  Similar  to  No.  6  except  no  knob  above  deflec- 
tor. Four  small  knobs  cast  on  edge  of  valve  cap  slightly 
overlapping  the  valve  seat.  Slight  change  in  solder 
joint. 

Approved   by  the  Factory  Mutual  Insurance   Com- 
panies and  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories. 
Rating:  Standard. 

Note:  Mr.  Esty  took  out  patents  on  several  other  types  of  heads 
notably:  1903  valve  sprinkler  with  valve  held  by  two  parallel 
struts  about  1  inch  apart.  1907  valve  disc  held  by  toggle-joint 
levers  and  link  as  in  International  head.  1909  strut  sprinkler  with 
circular  frame. 

These  later  types  were  never  used  so  far  as  known. 


376 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


EVANS. 


EVANS 

Merchant  &  Evans  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

A-IQI3.  Upright  valve  sprinkler 
somewhat  resembling  the  International 
sprinkler.  Two-piece  metal  valve  cap 
held  in  place  by  toggle-joint  levers  and 
link.  Link  composed  of  two  flat  plates 
f  inch  wide  containing  two  opposed  an- 
gular depressions  in  which  is  inserted  a 
key.  See  page  55. 

Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  in  Jan., 
1914. 

Replaced  by  issue  B  in  August,  1914.     Field  experi- 
ence satisfactory. 

Rating:  Satisfactory. 

3-1914.  Upright  valve  sprinkler,  very  similar  to 
type  A,  the  minor  changes 
being  as  follows:  a  one-piece 
valve  made  of  No.  11  B.  &  S. 
gage  annealed  bronze,  diam- 
eter of  ball  depression  in  valve 
the  same  as  that  in  the  com- 
pression screw,  the  upper  face 
of  the  valve  slightly  crowned, 
a  spring  washer  used,  slight 
change  in  pins.  It  is  not 
readily  distinguished  from 
type  A  except  by  the  mark- 
ings. Approved  by  Under- 
writers' Laboratories,  June, 
1914.  Some  of  these  heads  wax  coated  were  found  to 
lack  sensitiveness.  Replaced  by  Globe  C  in  1916.  No 
longer  manufactured. 

Rating:  Satisfactory. 


EVANS 


APPENDIX  I 


377 


FOWLER 

Walter  B.  Fowler,  Lawrence,  Mass. 

1884.     Pendent  valve  sprinkler  with  fixed   deflector. 
Valve  spindle  extended  through  hole 
in   deflector   and   was   held   by   two 
hinged  levers.     Released  by  I-shaped 
piece  of  solder  under  tension. 

Another  type  had  a  loose  ring 
covering  a  series  of  radial  holes 
through  which  the  water  issued,  the 
water  raising  the  ring  slightly* 

A  few  of  these  sprinklers  were 
installed  in  eastern  Massachusetts. 
Field  experience  fairly  satisfactory  for  a  few  years. 

Now  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

F.  M. 

See  A.  F.  M. 
GARTH 

The  Garth  Co.,  26  Craig  St.,  W.  Montreal,  Canada. 


EQ1LEFL 


GARTH  A. 


IQII.  Valve  sprinkler  with  frame  resembling  the 
Esty  sprinkler.  Metal  valve  disc  with  mica  washer 
held  in  place  by  long  duck  bill  levers  overlapping  and 
soldered  together  at  end.  S.mall  rotating  deflector. 


378          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Upright  valve  sprinkler.     Diaphragm   ori- 
fice.    Metal  valve  disc  with  silver  washer  held  in  place 
by  three-piece  strut.    Fixed  toothed  deflector.    Approved 
by  Associated  Factory  Mutuals. 
Rating:  Probably  satisfactory. 

GARRETT 

Chas.  B.  Garrett,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  formerly  of  Minneapo- 
lis, Minn. 

Manufactured   and    installed    by  the   Globe   Automatic 
Sprinkler  Co.,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

1904-1910.  Upright  valve  sprinklers  of  the  strut 
pattern.  Experimental  samples  submitted  to  the  Under- 
writers' Laboratories  and  reported  on  in  December,  1904, 
May,  1906,  June,  1906,  August,  1906,  February,  1907.. 
July,  1907,  and  May,  1908. 

A  few  of  the  1904  pattern  were  installed  in  the  State 
of  Washington  but  nowhere  else  so  far  as  known. 

Rating  :    Unreliable. 


GARRETT-GLOBE--A 


GARRETT-GLOBE  A 

1911.       Upright    valve    sprinkler    with    strut.      Ap- 
proved in  1911  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories. 
Withdrawn  February,  1914.  Manufacture  discontinued. 
Replaced  by  Globe  A.      Field  experience  satisfactory. 
Rating:  Satisfactory. 


APPENDIX  I  379 

GLAZIER 

J.  T.  and  C.  C.  Glazier,  Indianapolis,  Ind.     Assigned  to 
Glazier  Nozzle  &  Manufacturing  Co. 

1905.  Small  rotating  Glazier  nozzle  with  two  radial 
outlets  at  a  slight  angle.  Perforations  in  centre  of 
casting  between  nozzles.  Mounted  on  a  casting  con- 
taining two  right  angle  turns.  Interior  valve  seated 
vertically  and  held  in  place  by  horizontal  stem  con- 
nected to  a  hinged  lever  one  end  of  which  was  soldered 
in  place. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

GLEASON 

Elliott  P.  Gleason,  New   York. 

1888.  Pendent,  interior  valve  sprinkler  of  the  Globe 
valve  type.  Valve  opened  against  water  pressure. 


GLEASON. 

Rotating  deflector.  Weighted  lever,  connected  to  packed 
stem  extending  from  valve  to  outside  of  casting.  The 
weight  was  held  up  by  a  cord  containing  a  two-piece 
fusible  link.  When  link  melted  the  weight  dropped, 
opening  the  valve  and  starting  a  train  of  clockwork  which 
gave  an  alarm.  Not  a  reliable  type  of  sprinkler. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

In  another  type  no  cord  was  used  but  weight  was  held 
by  a  hinged' arm.  A  link  held  this  arm  to  a  projection 
on  the  casting. 


380         AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

GLOBE 

Globe  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.,  1610  Reading  Road,  Cin- 
cinnati, 0. 

A-IQI4.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  similar  to  Garrett 
Globe  A.  Approved  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories. 
Withdrawn  August,  1914.  Replaced  by  issue  B.  Field 
experience  satisfactory. 

Rating:  Satisfactory. 

6-1914.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  similar  to  type  A 
except  that  the  lower  end  of  the  outer  lever  is  held  by 
a  slot  stamped  out  from  the  inner  lever  instead  of  by 
a  separate  loop  formed  of  wire.  Approved  by  the  Un- 
derwriters' Laboratories  in  1914. 

Withdrawn  May,  1916.  Manufacture  discontinued. 
Replaced  by  issue  C.  Field  experience  satisfactory. 

Rating:  Satisfactory. 

Globe  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.,  2019-35  Washington 
Avenue,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 


GLOBE  B  SPRINKLER.  GLOBE  C. 

C  (Evans  Model)  1916.  This  is  a  duplicate  of  the 
Evans  B  sprinkler  except  for  marking  which  is  changed 
to  Globe  C.  Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories, 1916. 

Rating:  Standard. 


APPENDIX  I 


381 


GORTON 

English  Sprinkler. 

Diaphragm  sprinkler  similar  to  the  Grinnell  glass  disc 
head.     Approved  and  used  in  South  Africa. 

Not  approved  in  England. 


if 

IGORTON: 


GOUZE 

M.  Gouze,  Nantes,  France. 

Valve  sprinkler.  Valve  disc  held  by  lever  hooked  at 
one  end  and  soldered  to  frame  at  other  end.  Toothed 
deflector  supported  by  an  arm. 

The  Gouze  system  includes  a  water  supply  consisting 
of  pressure  tanks  normally  under  no  pressure.  Bottles 
of  carbonic  acid  gas  are  brought  into  play  when  the 
system  operates,  thus  supplying  the  necessary  pressure. 

Used  in  France  but  nowhere  else  so  far  as  known. 

GRANGER 

A.  M.  Granger,  Boston,  afterwards  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

1-1881 .  Valve  sprinkler  of  elbow  type  with  rotary  tur- 
bine distributor.  Valve  held  in  place  by  heavy  spring, 
bearing  against  the  valve  and  against  a  nut  held  in 
place  by  fusible  solder.  Probably  not  used  to  any  ex- 
tent. See  page  29. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


382         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

2-1885.  Valve  sprinkler  with  rotating  deflector  at- 
tached to  valve.-  Valve  held  in  place  by  lever  somewhat 
similar  to  that  in  the  Wai  worth  head.  Lever  held  to 
projection  on  casting  by  a  rectangular  link.  Not  much 
used  so  far  as  known. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

3-1886.     Slight  modification  of  No.  2. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

GRAY 

Frank  Gray. 

Installed  by  Edward  Barr  Co.,  New   York. 
Manufactured    by    Insurers    Automatic    Sprinkler    Co., 

New   York. 

i-About  1884.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held 
in  place  by  stem  extending  down  into  hollow  tube  and 
resting  against  thimble  soldered  into  lower  end  of  tube, 
f-inch  fitting.  Solder  under  direct  stress.  See  page  49. 


GRAY--1  GRAY"1>    ,  GRAL--2 

2-About  1886.  Very  similar  to  No.  1  but  with  arms 
of  frame  at  a  slight  angle. 

Both  crude  and  easily  stuck.  Distribution  faulty, 
A  considerable  number  were  installed  mostly  on  the  Gray 
dry  system.  See  page  49. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:  Very  unreliable. 


APPENDIX  I  383 

3-1899.  F.  Gray  and  Charles  D.  Cox  of  Chicago 
patented  an  upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held  in 
place  by  four-piece  strut.  Large  perforated  deflector. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

4-1904.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Perforated  de- 
flector on  outside  of  frame.  Valve  disc  held  in  place  by 
toggle-joint  levers  and  link. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

Note:  There  were  several  other  types  of  Gray  sprinklers  varying 
but  little  from  one  another.  Also  one  having  a  soldered  lever  for 
a  releasing  device. 

GREW 

English  Sprinkler. 

1900.  Submitted  to  Underwriters'  Laboratories, 
Chicago,  in  1900.  Found  to  be  inoperative  in  test.  All 
features  criticized. 

A  large  cylindrical  sprinkler. 

Never  used  in  this  country  so  far  as  known. 

GRINNELL 

Patented  by  Frederick  Grinnell,  Providence,  R.  I. 
Installed  by  Providence  Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Co.  up  to  1893, 
after  which  time  by  the  General  Fire  Extinguisher 
Co. 

1-1881.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  and  de- 
flector all  one  piece.  Valve  disc  seated  on  raised  ring 
|  inch  wide  in  a  thin  metal  diaphragm.  Diameter  of 
outlet  ^  inch.  Stiff  plate  under  diaphragm.  Valve  held 
in  place  by  yoke  and  lever,  the  yoke  being  hooked  under 
a  notch  in  the  frame  and  the  lever  being  hooked  under  a 
similar  notch  on  the  other  side.  Lever  soldered  to  frame 
with  no  reinforcing  key.  Later  the  end  of  the  lever  was 
bent  over  the  frame  to  give  greater  strength.  Deflector 
had  20  teeth  or  lobes. 

A-i882.  Same  as  No.  1,  except  a  key  was  used  to 
strengthen  solder  joint.  Deflector  had  24  teeth. 


384         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

In  1883  orifice  was  enlarged  to  \  inch.  Valve  disc 
of  lead.  Seat  ring  f  inch  wide. 

6-1884.  Same  as  A,  except  seat  ring  was  A  mch 
wide.  Valve  disc  of  tin. 

C-i886.  Same  as  B,  except  seat  ring  was  ^  inch 
wide.  In  December,  1886,  upright  heads  of  this  type 
with  perforations  in  the  deflector  were  first  made. 


(Section)  GRINNELL 

LJSRINNELL-A-B-C-D  .  UPRIGHT. 

D-i888.  Similar  to  C,  except  babbitt  metal  was  used 
for  the  valve  disc  and  seat  ring  was  -^  inch  wide.  Re- 
cess in  deflector  for  the  valve  disc  was  f  inch  in  diameter 
while  in  the  older  types  it  was  |  inch.  Upright  heads 
of  this  type  were  also  made,  there  being  holes  in  the 
deflector. 

About  1895  the  issue  C  type  was  found  to  be  defective 
as  the  narrow  seat  ring  caused  indentation  of  the  valve 
disc  and  sticking  of  the  valve.  About  ten  years  later  the 
A  and  B  types  were  rated  as  unreliable  on  account  of 
sticking  at  the  seat  and  sticking  of  the  levers.  A  few 
years  later  the  issue  D  type  was  quite  generally  con- 
demned for  the  same  reason,  so  that  today  all  these  heads 
having  given  good  service  for  twenty  years  or  more  are 
considered  defective.  Nearly  all  have  now  been  re- 
placed. A  few  have  opened  prematurely  on  account  of 
weakness  of  solder  joint.  See  page  39. 


APPENDIX  I  385 

Present  rating  of  all  Grinnell  metal  disc  sprinklers: 
Unreliable. 

Glass  Disc,  1890.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Heavy 
diaphragm  with  J-inch  orifice.  Valve  of  glass  and  semi- 
spherical  in  shape.  Releasing  device  in  the  form  of  a 
three-piece  strut. 

In  the  earliest  heads  the  strut  was  narrow  and  with 
parallel  sides.  Later  it  was  widened  and  made  bulging 
in  the  middle.  Key  slightly  changed  in  1893. 


(Section) 

i&L  CRINNELL 

GLASS  Disc.  IMPROVED. 

In  1897  the  material  of  the  "hook"  in  the  strut  was 
changed  from  German  silver  to  bronze  and  it  was  made 
thicker.  This  was  done  on  account  of  some  breaking 
and  cracking  at  this  point. 

Some  trouble  was  also  caused  by  cracking  of  the  glass 
disc.  After  1896  annealed  glass  (with  a  bubble)  was 
used  which  obviated  all  trouble.  After  1894  metal  discs 
were  used  in  high  test  heads.  Field  experience  satisfac- 
tory except  in  some  of  the  earlier  heads.  See  page  64. 

Rating:  Generally  reliable. 

Improved,  1903.  Similar  to  previous  type  but  with 
heavier  deflector  containing  fewer  teeth.  Approved  by 
the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  in  1903. 

Rating:  Standard. 

Picker  Trunk,  1903.  Provided  with  longer  base 
casting  and  smooth  deflector  for  use  in  picker  trunks 
and  conveyors. 

Rating:  Standard. 


386 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Glass  Cover,  1912.  Releasing  device  protected  by  a 
glass  cover  fitting  into  a  groove  filled  with  non-drying 
compound,  in  the  body  of  the  casting.  For  use  in  cor- 
rosive locations.  See  page  79. 

Rating:  Standard. 

GRINNELL 

Canadian  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  1200  Dundas 
St.,  Toronto,  Ontario. 

Improved,  1903.  A  duplicate  of  the  sprinkler  made 
by  the  American  Company  with  letters  CAN.  on  lower 
part  of  frame.  Approved  by  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories. 

Rating:  Standard. 


GUNN 

John  Gunn,  Webster,  Mass. 

1885.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler. 
Drop  deflector  type.  Valve  held  in 
place  by  hinged  levers  fastened  to 
projection  on  casting  by  a  fusible  link. 
Deep  cup-shaped  deflector. 

Used  to  a  limited  extent  locally. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


HARKNESS 

Patented  by  Wm.  Harkness,  New  York.  Installed  "by 
Harkness  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  New  fy)rk.  Some 
systems  installed  with  non-freezing  solution  nor- 
mally in  the  pipes. 

A-i885.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  of  drop  deflector 
type.  Deflector  had  teeth  on  the  edge  and  soft  metal 
•valve  disc  in  the  middle.  Valve  held  in  place  by  cross- 


APPENDIX  I 


387 


shaped  strut,  the  two  horizontal  arms  being  soldered  to 
the  frame.  A  small  spring  tended  to  throw  out  the 
vertical  members-,  when  solder  fused.  Threaded  for 
f-inch  fitting.  Never  used  so  far  as  known. 


HARKNESS--2 


HARKNESS--3 


1-1887.  Similar  to  above  but  strut  held  in  place  by 
horizontal  lever  soldered  to  a  projection  on  the  frame. 
Threaded  for  f-inch  fitting.  See  page  51. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

2-1889.     "L"    joint.     Smaller    head    than    No.     1 
threaded  for  J-inch  fitting.     Valve  covered  a  hole  in  cir- 
cular diaphragm.     Valve  stem  held  by  bent  horizontal 
lever  and  small  ball.     Lever  soldered 
to  projection  on  frame  by  L-shaped 
joint.      Large    fixed    deflector    with 
teeth  on  the  edge. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

3-1890.  Same  as  No.  2  but  with 
rectangular-shaped  solder  joint. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

4-1894.  Same  as  No.  2  with  V-- 
shaped joint. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

Field  experience  of  all  types  fairly 
satisfactory.  Now  practically  ob- 
solete. 


HARKNESS-4 


388          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

HARRIS 

Patented  by  A.  S.  Harris,  Chelsea,  Mass. 

1-1881.  Water-joint  type.  Cap  soldered  over  per- 
forated distributor. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

2-1882.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Hollow  valve 
stem  extended  to  bottom  of  casting  and  was  soldered  to 
two  small  strips  of  metal  projecting  downward.  Water 
distributed  through  perforations  protected  by  a  loose 
cap.  Never  used  so  far  as  known.  See  page  31. 

3-1883.  '  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  with  toothed  de- 
flector. Valve  stem  extended  through  hollow  tube  and 
was  held  by  a  thimble  soldered  into  end  of  tube.  Direct 
strain  on  solder  joint.  See  page  31. 

Some  of  these  heads  were  installed  by  the  Walworth 
Manufacturing  Co.  previous  to  the  manufacture  of  the 
Walworth  head. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


.  •  HARRIS^-..  >'!,.  HARRJS.QA  ......  ; 

HARRISON 

Stuart  Harrison,  England. 

1864.     Pendent  valve  sprinkler  with  rose  distributor. 
Soft   rubber   cup-shaped  valve  held   in  place   by   stem 


APPENDIX  I  389 

bearing  against  a  solder  joint.     Solder  insulated  from 
main  casting  by  a  projection  of  hard  wood. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known  but  a  remarkably  good 
sprinkler  for  that  date.  See  page  14. 

HEATH 

Ozro  C.  Heath,  Providence,  R.  I. 

1-1881.  Pendent,  water-joint  type  with  revolving 
distributor.  Cap  fastened  to  top  of  head  by  means  of 
fusible  pins. 

2-1882.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  with  fixed  toothed 
deflector.  Valve  held  in  place  by  stem  threaded  to  a 
nut,  the  latter  being  soldered  to  a  hole  in  the  frame. 

3-1882.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  with  similar  dis- 
tributor. Cap  was  screwed  onto  a  collar,  the  collar 
being  attached  to  the  head  by  low-fusing  solder.  This 
enabled  the  cap  to  be  unscrewed  from  the  collar  in  order 
to  examine  the  interior  of  the  head. 

None  of  these  heads  were  ever  used  so  far  as  known. 

HIBBARD 

Geo.  E.  Hibbard,  Chicago,  III. 

Manufactured  by  Geo.  E.  Hibbard,  Chicago;  Geo.  E. 
Hibbard  &  Co.,  Chicago;  American  Fire  Extin- 
guisher Co.,  Chicago;  National  Fire  Extinguisher 
Co.,  Kansas  City;  Niagara  Fire  Extinguisher  Co., 
Akron,  Ohio. 

Installed  by  Mailers,  Allen  and  Frazier,  Chicago;  Francis 
Bros,  and  Jellett,  Philadelphia;  Macauley  Bros., 
Grand  Rapids,  Mich.;  W.  H.  Littlefield,  San  Fran- 
cisco; Bowles  and  Warwick,  Richmond,  Va.;  and 
W.  T.  Montgomery,  Boston. 
1-1893.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held  in 

place  by  two  hooked  levers  bearing  on  edge  of  valve  cap 

and  extending  around  edge  of  deflector  to  top  of  sprink- 


390 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


ler.  Levers  held  together  by  a  two-piece  fusible  link 
either  straight  or"  corrugated.  Fixed  conical-shaped  de- 
flector. First  installed  in  vicinity  of  Cincinnati  but 
these  have  probably  all  been  replaced.  See  page  49. 

Obsolete. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

2-1894.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Hollow  valve 
button  held  in  place  by  short  levers,  almost  on  dead 
center,  and  two-piece  straight  link.  Hexagonal  wrench 
head.  Lower  lever  had  an  arched  lower  bearing.  Two- 
piece  fusible  link.  Seriously  affected  by  corrosion. 


HlBBARD    1. 

(Section.) 


HlBBARD   2. 


Structurally  weak.  Not  approved,  but  a  good  many  in 
use.  Field  experience  only  fair.  Age  limit  about  reached. 
Tests  should  be  made  to  determine  reliability. 

Out  of  97  recently  tested  by  the  Underwrite'  Labora- 
tories 29  per  cent  failed,  partly  due  to  levers  being  on 
dead  center.  See  page  49. 

Rating :    Uncertain. 

3-1897.  Same  as  No.  2  except  for  longer  levers, 
square  wrench  head,  and  heavier  frame.  Seriously 


APPENDIX  I 


391 


affected  by  corrosion  and  loading.  Paper  discs  in  some 
samples.  Caps  and  discs  liable  to  adhere  to  seats. 
Field  experience  fairly  satisfactory.  Tests  should  be 
made  on  heads  from  each  equipment  to  determine  relia- 
bility. 

Out  of  193  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Lab- 
oratories 55  per  cent  failed,  partly  due  to  levers  on  dead 
center. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 


HlBBARD    3. 


HlBBARD    3A. 


3A-i8p8.  Same  as  No.  3  except  for  pivoted  lower 
bearing  on  lower  lever  and  temperature  and  date  marks 
usually  found  on  fusible  link.  Same  defects  as  in  No.  3. 
Soft  white  metal  gasket  under  valve.  This  is  liable  to 
stick  to  seat  and  cut  down  the  discharge  about  20  per 
cent. 

Out  of  599  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Lab- 
oratories 32  per  cent  failed  from  adhesion  at  seat, 
etc. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 

4-1901.  Same  as  No.  3  A  except  for  cross  piece  in 
fusible  link  and  straight  arm  levers.  Manufactured  by 


392 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Niagara  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  only  and  used  mostly 
in  the  West.  Especially  subject  to  corrosion. 

Out  of  294  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Lab- 
oratories 34  per  cent  failed. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 


HlBBARD    4. 

5-1909.  Similar  to  Niagara-Hibbard  B  except  that 
"Nia-Hib  "  on  wrench  head  was  changed  to  "Hibbard." 
Manufactured  by  Geo.  E.  Hibbard  &  Co.,  Chicago.  Not 
approved. 

Rating:    Uncertain. 

1-1911.  Upright  valve  sprinkler,  very  similar  to  Ni- 
agara Hibbard  B  except  for  fins  on 
lower  ends  of  arms  of  casting  to  give 
means  for  distinguishing  the  head. 
Manufactured  by  Geo.  E.  Hibbard  & 
Co.,  Chicago.  Approved  by  Under- 
writers' Laboratories,  April,  1911. 
Withdrawn  Oct.,  1912.  Manufacture 
discontinued.  Used  principally  in 
Middle  West. 

Rating:  Satisfactory. 


HIBBARD--H  &  I 


APPENDIX  I  393 

HILL 

John  Hill,  Columbus,  Ga. 

Manufactured  by  John  Hill  and  by  Hill  Automatic 
Sprinkler  Co.  of  Columbus,  Ga.  Later  by  Neracher 
&  Hill  Sprinkler  Co.,  Warren,  Ohio,  and  General 
Fire  Extinguisher  Co. 

1890.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Oscillating  deflec- 
tor. Has  restricted  discharge  and  is  some- 
what subject  to  leakage  owing  to  spread- 
ing of  solder  joint.  Not  standard.  Field 
experience  generally  satisfactory.  Has 
now  about  reached  its  age  limit  and  recent 
tests  show  frequent  failures. 

Out  of  184  heads  of  the  light  pattern  re- 
cently tested  20  per  cent  failed.  See  page 
48. 

Present  rating :    Unreliable. 

Note:  This  head  was  first  patented  in  1885  and  was  sljghtly 
modified  in  patents  taken  out  in  1887,  1890  and  1892.  Several 
types  were  made  varying  but  slightly  from  one  another. 

Mr.  Hill  combined  with  William  Neracher  in  1890  and  the  business 
was  moved  from  Atlanta,  Ga.,  to  Warren,  Ohio.  A  few  Hill  sprink- 
lers were  made  at  the  latter  plant.  The  company  sold  out  to  the 
General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  in  1892. 

HOFFMAN 

Hoffman  Sprinkler  Co.,   Ltd.,  Manchester, 
England. 

Upright  valve  sprinkler  with  diaphragm. 
Very  similar  to  Grinnell  glass  disc,  except 
that  jet  is  used  instead  of  glass  for  the 
valve  disc.  Approved  and  used  exten- 
sively in  England.  Agencies  in  Belgium,  HOFFMAN, 
France,  Germany,  Norway  and  India. 


394          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

HOLLAND 

Made  by  the  Holland  Automatic  Sprinkler  Company  of 
New  York. 

1914.     Upright  valve  sprinkler  with  rectangular  strut 
composed,  of    several   levers    soldered   to- 
gether. 

Criticized  by  the  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories in  November,  1914,  as  follows: 

1.  Design  of  parts.  2.  Reliability  of  operating. 
3.  Deterioration  from  corrosion  and  loading.  4. 
Sensitiveness.  5.  Distribution.  6.  Possibility  of 
premature  opening.  7.  Inability  to  withstand  or- 
dinary abuse.  8.  Lack  of  uniformity  in  manufac- 
ture. 9.  Construction  details. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known.  HOLLAND. 

HORACK 
Chas.  L.  Horack,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Horack  took  out  several  patents  between  1882 
and  1885  for  sprinklers  of  various  types. 

None  ever  used  so  far  as  known. 
HOXIE 
Edmund  Hoxie,  Everett,  Mass. 

1891.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler,  the  valve  being  of 
glass  and  held  in  place  by  two  large  levers  soldered 
together  at  two  points. 

Deflector  was  a  flat  plate  supported  about  half  an 
inch  in  front  of  orifice  by  five  metal  bars.     Never  used 
so  far  as  known. 
IDEAL 

Made  by  Ideal  Automatic  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa. 

1912.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  with  diaphragm. 
Metal  disc  closed  outlet  in  diaphragm  and  was  held  in 
place  by  strut.  Experimental  sample  submitted  to 
Underwriters'  Laboratories  for  approval.  Features 
criticized: 


APPENDIX  I 


395 


1.  Halt  or  hesitation  in  normal  operation.    2.   Deterioration 
resulting  from  corrosion  or  loading.     3.   Possibility  of  premature 
operation  under  sustained  service  pressures.     4.   In- 
ability to  withstand  ordinary  abuse.     5.   Lack  of 
uniformity  in   manufacturing.      6.   Materials  em- 
ployed.    7.   Construction  details. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

Feb.,  1913.     Experimental  sample  simi- 
lar to  No.  1,  but  with  different  deflector 
and  strut.     Features   criticized  all  but  1 
and  4  of  the  above.     Also  normal  opera-     _____ 
tion  of  hard  and  extra  hard  degree  rating        IDEAL  A 
sprinklers. 

A-IQI4.     Similar  to  previous  type  but  with  key  on 
releasing  device  extending  around  edges  of  strut. 

Not  used  to  any  extent  so  far  as  known. 

INDEPENDENT 

Independent  Sprinkler  Co.,  Philadelphia. 
Independent  Mtna  Sprinkler  Co.,  2323  No.  Eleventh  St., 
Philadelphia. 

A-igi6.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  of  the  lever  and  link 
type.  A  phosphor  bronze  cap  with  copper  washer  closes 
the  orifice  and  is  held  in  place  by  two  bronze  levers.  The 
levers  are  held  by  a  fusible  link 
consisting  of  three  bronze  plates, 
the  two  outer  ones  having  a  semi- 
spherical  depression  and  the  in- 
ner one  having  a  round  hole  for 
the  reception  of  a  ball  key  ^V  of 
an  inch  in  diameter.  Approved 
by  the  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories, 1916,  and  by  the  Associ- 
ated Factory  Mutual  Fire  In- 
surance Companies. 

Rating:  Standard.  INDEPENDENT  SPRINKLER. 


396         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

INTERNATIONAL 

Manufactured  and  installed  by  the  International  Sprink- 
ler Co.  of  Philadelphia.  Also  installed  by  several 
licensees  in  this  country  and  by  the  Sprinkler  Com- 
pany, Ltd.,  abroad.  Head  office  of  latter  com- 
pany in  London.  Branch  offices  in  Amsterdam, 
Brussels,  Milan,  Calcutta,  Shanghai,  Mexico,  South 
Africa,  North  China,  Yokohama  and  other  places. 

The  International  Sprinkler  Co.  was  founded  in  1899, 
succeeding  the  Universal  Sprinkler  Co.  and  at  first  in- 
stalled the  Universal  Sprinkler.  See  page  52. 

1-1900.     Patented  by  J.  C.  Scott. 

Upright  valve  sprinkler  similar  to  the  Universal  No.  2. 

Link  \  inch  wide.     Cast  metal  valve  disc. 

Field  experience  fairly  satisfactory. 


JNTERNATIONAL-1  INTERNATIONAL-B 


Criticized  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  in  1902: 
(1)    Releasing    device,    (2)    cap,    (3)    solder,    (4)    construction 
details. 

Not  approved. 

Rating :    Uncertain. 

A-IQO2.     Patented  by  Powell  Evans. 

Similar  to  No.  1  except  link  was  made  of  bronze  instead 
of  brass  and  projections  were  placed  on  frame  where 
link  would  touch  it. 

Approved,  1902,  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories. 

Some  trouble  experienced  from  those  made  in  1902- 
1904,  by  premature  opening  due  to  cold  flow  of  solder 
in  link.  A  large  number  were  replaced. 

Present  rating:  Satisfactory  except  danger  of  premature 
opening. 


APPENDIX    I  397 

A-2  1905.  Same  as  A  but  link  made  wider  (Jf  inch). 
See  page  53.  Replaced  by  B  in  1900. 

Rating:  Satisfactory. 

B-igo6.    Same  as  A-2  except  slight  changes  in  marking. 

Rating:  Standard. 

Note:  Special  deflectors  are  also  made  for  aisle  lines  in  car  barns, 
one  to  distribute  in  two  directions  to  go  between  cars,  and  one  to 
distribute  in  one  direction  to  go  along  walls.  This  company  was 
bought  out  by  the  "  Automatic  "  Sprinkler  Co.  of  America  in  1911. 
JAHN 

F.  G.  John,  New   York.     Made  by  Standard  Equipment 
Co.,  New  York. 

1891.  Pendent,  solid  head  sprinkler.  There  was  no 
valve  in  this  sprinkler  but  a  groove  was  cut  in  the  solid 
casting  at  the  point  "where  a  valve  would 
ordinarily  be  introduced.  There  was  a  heavy 
lever  hinged  at  one  end  and  attached  to  the 
piping  by  means  of  a  fusible  link.  When  the 
weight  dropped,  the  lever  forcibly  broke  open 
the  head  at  the  groove.  Fixed  toothed  de- 
flector. Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

1891.     Upright  valve  sprinkler.     Porcelain 
valve  cap  held  in  place  by  four-piece  strut,  two  mem- 
bers of  which  extended  horizontally.     Toothed  deflector. 
Not  used  to  any  extent  so  far  as  known. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 
JORDAN 

Wm.  S.  Jordan,  Worcester.  Assigned  to 
Braman,  Dow  &  Co.,  of  Boston. 

1885.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler, 
drop  deflector  type.  A  large  hollow 
casting  contained  interior  guide  for 
valve  which  was  held  against  seat 
by  a  series  of  hinged  levers  bearing 
against  adjustable  spindle.  Levers 
tripped  by  the  melting  of  a  short  iJt^J  *  JORDONj 
bar  of  solder  under  tension.  Never  used  so  far  as  known. 


398          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

KANE 

Patented  by  John  and  William  Kane  of  Philadelphia. 

Installed  by  Wm.  Kane  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.;  Univer- 
sal Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.  and  John  Kane  Fire 
Extinguisher  Co. 

W.  KANE 

1-1881.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.*  Valve  held  in 
place  by  a  yoke  hooked  to  a  projection  at  one  side  of  the 
head  and  soldered  to  a  projection  ori  the  other  side. 
Loose  cap  covered  the  lower  end  when  the  head  was 
closed. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

1^-1881.  Similar  to  No.  1  except  that  there  was  an 
arm  extending  from  one  side  of  the  head.  The  yoke 
was  hooked  at  one  end  as  in  No.  1,  but  at  the  other  end 
it  hooked  over  a  lever  which  passed  through  the  arm 
and  was  soldered  to  a  projection  at  end  of  the  arm. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


: 

2-1882  Eclipse.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  of  globe 
valve  type.  Horizontal  valve  held  in  place  by  a  compli- 
cated system  of  levers.  Loose  cap  over  lower  end.  See 
page  33. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


APPENDIX  I  399 

3-1888  Bulb  Root.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Inte- 
rior valve  held  in  place  by  two  levers.  One  lever  held 
to  projection  on  casting  by  two-piece  link. 

Nearly  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


'  W.  KANE-4 


4-1892  Perfection.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  of  drop 
deflector  type.  Valve  held  by  levers  and  link  similar 
to  those  in  No.  3. 

Out  of  28  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories 7  per  cent  failed.  , 

Nearly  obsolete. 

Present  rating:  Doubtful. 

Note:  In  1893  the  William  Kane  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  sold  out 
to  the  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  and  the  No.  4  Perfection  head 
was  made  at  the  Warren,  Ohio,  shop  of  that  company  for  some 
months. 

J.  KANE 

Made  by  Universal  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co. 

1-1892  Universal.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Similar 
to  Wm.  Kane  No.  4,  but  with  fixed  toothed  deflector. 

Out  of  6  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories 33  per  cent  failed. 

Nearly  obsolete. 

Present  rating:  Doubtful. 


.400 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


2-1892  Universal.     Frame  similar  to  No.   1.     Drop 
deflector  similar,  to  Wm.  Kane  No.  4. 


J.KANE-1 


J.  KANE--2 


Out  of  139  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Lab- 
oratories 16  per  cent  failed  from  adhesion  at  seat,  etc. 

Present  rating:  Doubtful. 

2^-1892.  Similar  to  No.  2  with  fixed  toothed  deflec- 
tor. 

Present  rating:  Doubtful. 

3-1900.  Made  by  Niagara  Sprinkler  Co.  and  later 
by  John  Kane  Automatic  Fire  Extinguisher  Co. 

Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  cap  held  in  place  by 
toggle-joint  levers  and  link.  Liable  to  leakage.  Field 
experience  otherwise  fairly  satisfactory. 

Present  rating:    Uncertain, 


4-1902.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Similar  to  No.  3 
but  with  levers  farther  apart.  Liable  to  leakage.  Field 
experience  otherwise  fairly  satisfactory. 


APPENDIX  I  401 

Out  of  74  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories 5  per  cent  failed. 
Present  rating:    Uncertain. 


JL.KANE-4.  J.KANE--4; 


4^-1902.     Similar  to  No.  4  but  with  longer  levers. 
Present  rating:    Uncertain. 

Note:  The  J.  Kane  Automatic  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  sold  out  to 
the  International  Sprinkler  Co.  in  June,  1902,  and  the  latter  company 
manufactured  a  few  J.  Kane  No.  4  heads  until  Nov.,  1902. 

KERSTETER 

Chas.  W.  Kersteter,  Chicago,  III. 

A-i888.  Single  arm  type.  Valve  sprinkler  with 
valve  held  by  a  horizontal  lever  hooked  at  one  end,  the 
other  end  being  hooked  to  a  vertical  lever  soldered  at 
the  upper  end  to  the  frame.  Deflector  supported  by  a 
single  arm.  But  few  installed. 

Practically  obsolete. 
.Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

1-1889.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held  in 
place  by  two  levers  hooked  at  lower  end  to  frame  and 
held  together  at  upper  end  by  a  fusible  link  spanning 
the  head.  Perforated  toothed  deflector.  See  page  55. 

Practically  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

2-1893.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held  in 
place  by  strut.  Crude  in  workmanship  and  lacking  in 
sensitiveness. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


402          AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

3-1898.  Manufactured  by  Niagara  Fire  Extinguisher 
Co.,  Akron,  Ohio.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  similar  to 
No.  2,  but  somewhat  larger.  Subject  to  crawling  and 
leaking.  About  30,000  made.  Many  replaced  by  manu- 
facturers. Nearly  obsolete.  Not  made  after  1899. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


k^  _  JCERSTETER-4  LJ^RSTiTER--2  IKERSTETER-3    J 

4-1897.  Upright  valve  sprinkler,  patented  by  E.  M. 
Cook  of  Indianapolis.  Assigned  to  Charles  W.  Kerste- 
ter.  Valve  held  by  three-piece  strut. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 
•  5-1898.     Similar  to  No.  3  but  with  four-piece  strut. 

LACONIA 

See  Vogel. 

LANGFORD 

Wm.  S.  Langford,  Baltimore,  Md. 

1898.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  cap  held  by 
strut.  Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

LAPHAM 

Valentine  Lapham,  Chicago.  Made  by  Lapham  Auto- 
matic Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Later 
types  by  Johnson-Rowe-Paige  Co.,  Omaha,  Neb.; 
McCrum-Howell  Co.,  Chicago;  and  Ohio  Automatic 
Sprinkler  Co.,  Youngstown,  Ohio. 


APPENDIX  I  403 

1-1890.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  with  valve  cap  held 
in  place  by  three-piece  strut  of  angular  shape.  Fixed 
perforated  deflector. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

2-1894.     Upright  valve  sprinkler. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 

3-1897.  Modification  of  No.  2.  Valve  cap  extended 
over  edge  of  valve  seat  with  spring  underneath. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

4-1902.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Toggle-joint  lev- 
ers. Experimental  sample  submitted  to  Underwriters' 
Laboratories.  Criticized  as  follows: 

1.  Releasing  device.  2.  Effects  of  corrosion  and  loading.  3. 
Solder  in  high  degree  pattern.  4.  Marking.  5.  Distribution.  6. 
Structural  weakness. 

Never  on  the  market  so  far  as  known. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 

A-I9IO.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  similar  to  No.  4 
but  with  toothed  deflector,  flatter  frame  and  heavier 
link.  Made  by  Johnson-Rowe-Paige  Co.  Submitted 
to  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  and  criticized  as 
follows : 

1.  Defects  in  soldering.  2.  High  and  variable  leakage  point. 
3.  Inaccuracy  in  construction.  4.  Distribution.  5.  Marking.  6. 
Coloring. 

A  few  of  these  heads  were  used  in 
the  Middle  West. 

Out  of  33  recently  tested  3  per  cent 
failed. 

Rating:  Questionable. 

B-I9H.     Slight    modification   of  A, 
but    much    the    same   in   appearance. 
Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Labo-    •        LAPHAM--B 
ratories.      Made   by  Ohio  Automatic 
Sprinkler  Co. 

Rating:  Standard. 


404         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

LYNDE 

Jas.  H.  Lynde,  -Manchester,  England. 

1-1887.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  with  interior  toothed 
deflector  which  dropped  when  head  opened. 

Never  used  in  this  country  so  far  as  known. 

2-1893.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  similar  to  No.  1. 
Valve  held  in  place  by  levers  attached  to  a  projection 
in  frame  by  a  two-piece  rivet-shaped  link.  Never  used 
in  this  country  so  far  as  known. 

MACDANIEL 

Valve  sprinkler.  Large  deflector  attached  to  valve 
disc.  Held  by  strut  with  spring  to  throw  it  off  center. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

MACKEY 

John  C.  Mackey,  Syracuse,  N.  Y.     Installed  by  Manu- 
facturers Automatic  Sprinkler  Co. 

1-1883.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Conical  shaped 
valve  disc  held  in  place  by  short  strut  bearing  against 
brass  wire  levers.  Levers  held  by  two-piece  curved  link. 
Fixed  deflector.  Threaded  for  f-inch  fitting.  See  page 
36. 

Now  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable, 


2-1885.     Pendent  valve  sprinkler.     Interior  valve  at 
top  of  hollow  casting.     Stem  T\-inch  diameter  passed 


APPENDIX  I  405 

through  TVinch  hole  in  casting  and  was  held  by  lever 
bar  hooked  at  one  end  and  soldered  at  other  end.  Fixed 
deflector.  Threaded  for  f-inch  fitting.  Water  way  ob- 
structed. See  page  56. 

Now  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

3-1887.  Similar  to  No.  1  but  shorter  and  with  valve 
stem  held  by  two-piece  lever,  hooked  at  one  end  and 
held  at  other  end  by  U-shaped  piece  of  brass  soldered 
around  a  projection  which  extended  through  a  slot  in 
lever. 

Now  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

4-1888.  Patented  by  M.  C.  Pierce  in  1891.  As- 
signed to  Manufacturers  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co. 

Interior  valve  sprinkler  somewhat  similar  to  No.  3 
but  longer  and  with  toothed  deflector.  Valve  of  copper 
composition  or  white  metal.  Deflector  f  inch  from 
frame.  See  page  56. 

Practically  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

Note:  There  was  also  an  upright  sprinkler  made  by  Baker,  Smith 
&  Co.,  New  York,  about  1883,  while  Mr.  Mackey  was  with  them, 
that  greatly  resembled  the  Mackey  head. 


MANUFACTURERS-1        MANUFACTURERS-.^        MANUFACTURERS-^ 
MANUFACTURERS 

Made  by  Manufacturers  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.,  Syra- 
cuse, N.  Y.     These  succeeded  the  Mackey  heads. 


406         AUTOMATIC    SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Some  patents  were  in  the  name  of  C.  W.  Silver. 
This  company  was  succeeded  by  the  "Automatic  " 
Sprinkler  Co.  of  America  in  1911. 

1-1892.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Very  similar  to 
Mackey  No.  4,  except  that  deflector  was  further  from 
frame  (|  inch).  Valve  of  metal,  agate  or  glass.  Head 
was  marked  "Non  Corrosive."  Made  for  f-inch  fitting. 
See  page  56. 

Out  of  14  recently  tested  64  per  cent  failed. 

Nearly  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

2-1895.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Very  similar  to 
No.  1  but  with  an  elongated  boss  at  end  of  threaded 
portion.  Threaded  portion  f  inch  in  diameter. 

Out  of  30  recently  tested  23  per  cent  failed. 

Nearly  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

3-1896.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Similar  to  No.  2 
but  longer  and  with  a  smaller  deflector.  Elongated  boss 
as  in  No.  2. 

Out  of  12  recently  tested  67  per  cent  failed. 

Practically  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

4-1893.  Long  lever  type.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  of 
toggle-joint  type.  Valve  of  porcelain  held  in  place  by 
two  long  levers.  A  double  T-shaped  link  fitted  into  slots 
at  end  of  levers.  See  page  37.  Later  issues  had  spiral 
spring  under  porcelain  valve.  See  page  57. 

Field  experience  not  satisfactory..  Extremely  subject 
to  failure  by  corrosion  and  sticking  of  link*  But  few 
now  in  use. 

The  Underwriters'  Laboratories  have  tested- 25  heads 
of  this  type  which  averaged  14  years  in  service  and  40 
per  cent  failed. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 


APPENDIX  I  407 

A-i8g5.     Upright  valve  sprinkler.     Similar  to  No.  4 
but  with  shorter  levers.     Spring  under  valve.     The  link 


[•  *'  'MANUFACTURERa 
4  OR  LONG  LEVER. 


MANUFACTURERS-A 


as  in  No.  4  was  composed  of  a  T-shaped  piece  with 
another  piece  of  similar  shape  wrapped  horizontally 
around  the  inner  portion.  This  form  of  link  has  been 
found  defective  under  continued  strain  and  especially  if 
subject  to  corrosion. 

Criticized  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories  in  1902  as 
follows: 

1.  Releasirg  device.  2.  Solder  in  high  degree  patterns.  3. 
Construction  details. 

Tests    by    the    Underwriters'    Laboratories    on    555 
samples  showed  27  per  cent  failures. 
Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

6-1903.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Similar  to  A  but 
with  small  boss  projecting  above  center  of  deflector. 
Link  of  similar  shape  but  with  the  outer  part  wrapped 
over  the  top  of  the  inner  portion.  Valve  cap  rather  close 
to  frame  so  that  corrosion  at  that  point  might  cause 
trouble.  This  head  has  had  a  fairly  satisfactory  field 
experience,  but  should  be  carefully  watched  where  sub- 
ject to  any  corrosion  or  loading.  Occasional  tests  de- 
sirable. 


408          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Out  of  225  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Lab- 
oratories 6  per  cent  failed. 

Present  rating:  Fairly  reliable. 


MANUFACTURERS--!*  MANUFACTURERS-^ 


€-1907.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Similar  to  B  but 
with  bosses  at  end  of  lower  lever  so  that  link  cannot  be 
slipped  off.  Approved  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories, 
1907. 

Rating:  Standard. 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  Caution,  1909. 

"Last  re-examination  Feb.  1909  indicates  defects  in 
construction  not  present  in  samples  formerly  tested  and 
which  render  the  latest  output  of  these  devices  unduly 
susceptible  to  the  influences  of  corrosion." 

These  defects  in  construction  were  afterwards  remedied 
and  the  head  was  approved  unconditionally. 

MARTIN 

H.  W.  Martin,  Ilion,  N.  Y. 

1905.  Upright  valve  Sprinkler.  Valve  of  glass  held 
by  strut.  Toothed  deflector  somewhat  resembling  the 
Grinnell  sprinkler.  Several  variations. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 


APPENDIX  I 


409 


MASCOT 

Wm.  Shaffer. 

1887.  Interior  valve  sprinkler 
of  elbow  type.  Valve  held  in 
place  by  pivoted  levers.  Operated 
by  expansion  of  wax  in  closed  re- 
ceptacle. Levers  were  pushed  off 
center  by  small  piston  actuated  by 
expanding  wax.  Used  but  little 
if  any.  See  page  43. 

Obsolete. 

Rating:   Very  unreliable. 


*m- 

JL&SGQX 


MAYALL 

W.  Mayall  &  T.  Thomasson,  Mossley,  England. 

1891.  Valve  sprinkler.  Valve  and  deflector  in  one 
piece.  Valve  held  by  L-shaped  lever  soldered  at  lower 
end  to  frame.  Never  used  in  this  country  so  far  as 
known. 

Installed  in  one  mill  in  England  but  never  officially 
approved  there. 


JMAWJL 


McLAUTHLBL 


McLAUTHLIN 

Geo.  F.  McLauthlin,  Boston,  Mass. 

1894.     Valve  sprinkler.     Upright  and  pendent  types. 
Valve  held  in  place  by  strut  composed  of  levers.     A 


410          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

heavy  iron  case  surrounded  the  sprinkler,  which  in  the 
upright  type  was  in  two  pieces.  This  case  was  held  in 
place  by  low-fusing  solder.  A  small  chain  was  attached 
to  the  case  and  to  the  valve  strut.  When  heated  the 
iron  case  was  released  and  in  falling  pulled  the  strut 
levers  off  center  and  opened  the  valve.  Never  used  so 
far  as  known. 

MERCHANT  AND  EVANS 
See  Evans. 

MILLER 

J.  A.  Miller,  Providence,  R.  I. 

1878.  Valve  sprinkler  with  rose  or  perforated  dis- 
tributor. Valve  opened  against  water  pressure  and  was 
operated  by  the  expanding  of  brass  rods  placed  under 
the  sprinkler  pipes.  Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

MORRIS 

Morris  Sprinkler  Co.,  Ltd.,  London,  England. 

Upright  valve  sprinkler  of  toggle-joint 
lever  type  similar  to  last  type  of  John  Kane. 
Submitted  to  Underwriters'  Laboratories  in 
1907  Criticized  as  follows: 

1.  Cold  flow  of  solder  joint.  2.  Premature  open- 
ing. 3.  Distribution.  4.  Marking.  5.  Design  of 
parts.  6.  Strength.  7.  Workmanship. 

Never  used  in  this    country  so   far  as       MORRIS 
known. 

Formerly  approved  in  England  but  approval  with- 
drawn. 

Levers  poorly  designed  and  head  often  failed. 

MORRISON 

Morrison  Brass  Co.,  Toronto,  Canada. 

1.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  very  similar  to  the  Grinnell 
glass  disc  head. 


APPENDIX  I 


411 


2.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  similar  to  above  but  valve 
held  in  place  by  duck  bill  levers  similar  to  those  used  in 
the  Esty  sprinkler. 

Neither  type  used  to  any  extent  so  far  as  known. 


MORRISON  MORRISON  2. 


III.     Assigned  to    Nagle 


NAGLE 

Augustus  F.    Nagle,   Chicago, 
Automatic  Sprinkler  Co. 

1-1890.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Interior  valve 
opening  against  the  water  pressure.  Valve  stem 
threaded  into  a  nut  which  was  held  in  a  closed  case  by 


NAGIE--1 


NAGLE--2 


a  heavy  coiled  spring.  Spring  was  released  by  the 
fusing  of  two  trip  pieces  soldered  to  projections  on  the 
outside  of  the  case.  When  released  the  spring  uncoiled 
and  screwed  the  valve  away  from  its  seat.  Deflector 
was  a  flat  plate  with  raised  perforated  edge.  See  page  44. 
Present  rating:  Unreliable. 


412          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

2-1891.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held  by 
single  lever  hooked  at  one  end  and  secured  at  other  end 
by  a  three-piece  link. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable, 

NAYLOR 

James  Naylor,  Jr.,  Boston. 

1894.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.     Valve  held  in  place 
by  glass  strut  filled  with  fluid  that  was  supposed  to  ex- 
pand when  heated  and  break  the  glass.     Never  used  so 
far  as  known. 

Another  type  had  a  strut  composed  of 
two  pieces  of  metal  soldered  together. 
Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

1895.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.     Valve 
cap  held  by  two  levers  set  at  an  angle 
to  the  vertical.    Held  to  frame  by  a  fusi- 
ble member  consisting  of  two  thin  metal       NA^»ft 
discs  soldered  together.    Light  and  easily 
broken.     Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

NERACHER 

Wm.  Neracher,  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Installed  by  Neracher 
Sprinkler  Co.,  Neracher  &  Hill  Sprinkler  Co.,  and 
later  by  General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co. 

A-i882.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held  in 
place  by  lever  hinged  at  one  end  and  held  at  other  end 
by  a  short  trip  lever.  Long  end  of  latter  lever  held  by  a 
plate  bearing  against  a  small  vessel  containing  paraffine 
or  similar  material,  fusing  at  about  120°  F.  Distribu- 
tion from  four  curved  rotating  arms.  Never  used  so  far 
as  known. 

1-1884.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler,  drop  deflector 
type.  Valve  held  in  place  by  cross-shaped  strut  with 


APPENDIX  I 


413 


horizontal  arms  soldered  to  frame.  Lower  part  of  strut 
placed  at  a  slight  angle  with  the  vertical.  Star-shaped 
deflector. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:-  Unreliable. 

1^-1886.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Similar  to  No.  1 
except  releasing  device.  Strut  consisted  of  triangular- 
shaped  spring  with  two  lower  ends  soldered  to  frame. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable, 


NERACHER-.-1 


NERACHER-2 


2-1887.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Similar  to  No.  1 
except  releasing  device.  Strut  consisted  of  one  short 
piece  and  one  long  angular  piece,  the  long  end  of  which 
was  held  to  a  projecting  arm  by  a  two-piece  triangular- 
shaped  link.  See  page  58. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

2^-1887.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Similar  to  No.  2 
except  that  releasing  device  consisted  of  levers  extending 
over  lower  end  of  frame  and  held  together  by  a  fusible 
link. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

3-1888.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held  in 
place  by  four-piece  lever.  Outer  levers  of  brass  wire 


414 


AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


extended  to  top  of  sprinkler  and  were  held  together  by 
a  link  similar  to  that  used  in  No.  2. 

Out  of  48  recently  tested  17  per  cent  failed. 

Practically  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

31-1893.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Similar  to  No.  3 
except  that  the  frame  was  slightly  different  in  shape  and 
levers  were  of  stamped  bronze.  Unduly  subject  to  the 
influence  of  corrosion. 

Out  of  232  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Lab- 
oratories 3  per  cent  failed. 

Rating:  Doubtful. 


m 


NERACHER--3 


[NERACHER-3J  . 


4-1895.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Similar  to  No.  3 
but  a  much  shorter  head.  Outer  levers  of  stamped 
bronze.  Toothed,  perforated  deflector.  Reliability 
somewhat  doubtful,  due  to  age. 

Out  of  52  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories 10  per  cent  failed  from  tight  fit  between  links  and 
parts. 

Present  rating:  Doubtful. 

5-1902.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Similar  to  No.  4 
but  somewhat  shorter.  Frame  not  adjustable. 

Present  rating:   Not  standard;  generally  satisfactory. 


APPENDIX  I 


415 


6-1902.     Similar  to  No.  5  but  with  toothed  deflector. 
Hollow  valve  cap.     Approved. 
Rating:  Standard. 


NERACHE&-! 


J1ERACHER--1 


NEW  YORK 

New   York  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co. 
Patented  by  B.  P.  Hall  of  Fanwood,  N.  J. 
New  York  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co. 

1911.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  with 
two-piece  curved  strut. 

Reported  upon  by  the  Underwriters' 
Laboratories,  July,  1912.  Features  criti- 
cized : 

1.  Deterioration  from  loading  and  corrosion. 
2.  Probability  of  premature  opening.  3.  Distri- 
bution. 4.  Lack  of  uniformity  of  manufacture. 
5.  Design.  6.  Construction  details. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 


Assigned  to 


NEW  YORK. 


NEW  YORK  AND   NEW  HAVEN 

Made  by  Foskett  &  Bishop,   New  Haven,  Conn.;    New 

York  &  New  Haven  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.,  New 

York;  John  Simmons,  New  York. 

1-1889  (December).     Mill  type.     Patented  by  V.  A. 

Harder  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.      Interior  valve  sprinkler  of 

elbow  type.     Valve  spindle  held  by  two  hooked  levers 

with  ends  covered  by  a  two-piece  fusible  link  similar  to 


416          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

the  Walworth  link.     Large  deflector  with  raised  slotted 
edge.     Threaded  .for  f -inch  fitting. 

Practically  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


JU..&!UL=2L 

2-1889  (July)-  Riveted  lever  type.  Patented  by 
Daniel  C.  Stillson  of  Somerville,  Mass.  Interior  valve 
sprinkler  of  elbow  type.  Similar  to  No.  1  except  that 
levers  were  pivoted  and  deflector  was  smaller  with 
raised  perforated  edge. 

Practically  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

NEWTON 

Robert  W.  Newton,  Providence,  R.  I.     Installed  by  the 
inventor. 

Patents  taken  out  in  1891-1892  and 
1893  for  sprinkler  heads  that  were  never 
put  on  the  market  so  far  as  known. 

1894.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Metal 
valve  disc  held  in  place  by  strut  consisting 
of  five  pieces  at  an  angle,  and  three  hori- 
zontal. 

The  horizontal  pieces  were  soldered  to 
a    flat    surface.     Deflector    had    a    raised         NFWTON 
perforated  edge.     This  head  was  used  to 


APPENDIX   I  417 

a  considerable  extent  in  Rhode  Island  and  Eastern  Mas- 
sachusetts. After  about  ten  years  use  this  sprinkler  gave 
trouble  from  sticking,  especially  when  corroded.  Now 
considered  defective.  Practically  all  have  been  replaced. 
Used  to  some  extent  in  England. 

Practically  obsolete. 

Present  rating:   Very  unreliable. 

Note:  The  sprinkler  was  slightly  modified  in  patents  taken  out 
in  1902-1903  and  1905,  the  latter  being  assigned  to  the  General 
Fire  Extinguisher  Co. 

NEWTON 

Newton  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Ltd.,  London,  England. 

Upright  valve  sprinkler  with  diaphragm  outlet. 

Valve  disc  held  by  levers  and  link  similar  to  those  used 
in  the  International  sprinkler. 

Not  used  in  America  so  far  as  known. 

Used  extensively  in  England  and  other  parts  of  the 
world. 


NEWTON  JIAGARA-HIBBARD-A, 


NIAGARA-HIBBARD 

Manufactured  by  Niagara  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Akrony 

Ohio. 

A-IQO2.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Frame  similar  to 
Hibbard  sprinkler,  levers  and  link  similar  to  Niagara 
sprinkler.  V  joint  in  link.  Projections  on  frame  where 


418 


AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


levers  would  touch.     Stamped  Niagara  on  one  side  and 
Hibbard  on  other  .side. 


NlAGARA-HlBBARD   A-1902. 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  report,  1902.  Features 
criticized : 

1.  Effects  of  corrosion  and  loading.  2.  Solder  in  high  degree  pat- 
terns. 3.  Structural  weakness.  4.  Cap  and  construction  details. 

Rating:    Unreliable. 


NlAGARA-HlBBARD   A2-1903. 

A2-iQO3.  Similar  to  1902  type  but  with  point  on  link 
reversed  (pointing  inward).  Date  and  temperature 
marked  on  link. 


APPENDIX  I 


419 


Out  of  55  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories 2  per  cent  failed. 
Rating:  Doubtful. 


NlAGARA-HlBBARD    B-1904. 

6-1904.  Similar  to  A  but  with  more  rounded  frame, 
toothed  deflector  and  longer  levers.  Block  tin  gasket 
in  earlier  issues ;  copper  ring  gasket  in  later  issues.  Nia- 
Hib  cast  on  one  side  of  wrench  head  and  patent  date  on 
the  other  side. 

Installed  by  Niagara  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,  Akron, 
Ohio.  Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories  in 
1904.  Withdrawn  from  approval  in  1912,  inasmuch  as 
name  of  the  device  was  changed  to  Niagara  when  Mr. 
Geo.  E.  Hibbard  withdrew  from  the  Niagara  Fire  Ex- 
tinguisher Co.  (See  Niagara.) 

Rating:  Satisfactory. 
NIAGARA 

Manufactured  by  Niagara  Fire  Ex- 
tinguisher Co.,  Akron,  Ohio,  and 
after  1912  by  the  Ohio  Sprinkler  Co., 
Young stown,  Ohio. 

B-IQI2.  Practically  the  same  head 
as  Niagara-Hibbard  B.  Approved  by 
the  Underwriters'  Laboratories. 

Rating:  Standard. 


NIAGARA--B 


420          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

PARMELEE 

Henry  S.  Parmelee,  New  Haven,  Conn.     Made  by  J.  R. 

Brown  &  W.  A.  Foskett,  New  Haven,  Conn. 
Installed  by  Foskett  &  Bishop,  New  Haven,  by  the  Prov- 
idence Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Co.  and  others. 

First  patent,  1874,  showed  a  valve  sprinkler  held 
to  its  seat  by  fusible  solder.  Perforated  distributor. 
Sprinkler  fed  by  small  pipe  until  an  auxiliary  valve  was 
opened  by  the  reduction  in  pressure. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known.     See  page  17. 

1-1874  (about).  Upright,  valve  sprinkler.  Interior 
valve  held  in  place  by  hinged  lever  the  end  of  which  was 
fastened  to  an  arm  by  means  of  a  heavy  spring  and 
fusible  link.  Perforated  distributor. 

Used  in  Mr.  Parmelee's  piano  factory  (probably  the 
first  automatic  sprinkler  equipment  ever  installed). 
See  page  17. 

2-1874  (about).  Upright,  valve  sprinkler.  Interior 
valve  held  in  place  by  a  wooden  strut  the  upper  end  of 
which  had  a  bearing  against  a  fusible  washer.  Perfo- 
rated distributor.  This  head  was  also  used  to  a  limited 
extent  in  Mr.  Parmelee's  piano  factory.  See  page  18. 

3-1875.  Upright,  sealed  sprinkler.  Brass  cap  sol- 
dered over  a  perforated  distributor.  Threaded  on  in- 
side. See  page  18. 

4-1878.  Upright,  sealed  sprinkler. 
Brass  cap  soldered  over  a  rotating  turbine 
distributor.  Threaded  on  inside.  See 
page  19. 

5-1878.     Upright,  sealed  sprinkler. 
Similar  to  No.  4  but  redesigned  by  Mr. 
Grinnell.      The    head    was    made    more 
sensitive   by  recessing   under  the   solder 
joint  so  that  the  heated  air  could  circulate  on  each  side 
of  this  joint.     Threaded  on  the  outside  for  a  half  inch 
fitting.     Slow  in  action  and  easily  damaged. 


APPENDIX  I 


421 


PHELPS  2. 


Field  experience  very  satisfactory  for  some  years.     See 
page  19. 

All  types  now  obsolete. 

Present  rating:  All  types  unreliable. 

PHELPS 

Fred  A.  Phelps,  Laconia,  N.  H. 

1-1904.     Upright  valve  sprinkler.    Metal  — : 

valve  cap  held  in  place  by  a  seven-piece 
strut  in  the  form  of  a  double  rectangle. 
Soldered  surfaces  corrugated. 

2-1907.  Sample  similar  to  above  tested 
by  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  1907,  criti- 
cized as  follows: 

1.  Deflector.  2.  Markings.  3.  Soldering.  4. 
Strength. 

3-1910.     Experimental  sample  submitted  to  Under- 
writers' Laboratories  criticized  as  follows: 

1.   Features  of  design  and  construction.    2.  Hard  and  extra 
hard  degree  solders.    3.   Effects  of  loading  and  corrosion. 

None  of  the  types  ever  used  so  far  as  known. 

PHENIX 

Albert  Blauvelt,  Chicago,  III. 

1917.      Upright     valve      sprinkler. 
Valve  cap  a  held  in  place  by  an  S- 
shaped  strut  b  bearing  on  a  curved  lever 
c.     Upper  end  of  lever  fitted  into  a  slot 
in  curved  connection  strip  d  above  the 
deflector   e.      This   curved   strip   held 
in  place  by  a  capsule  /  containing  a 
plunger  resting   on   fusible    solder   in 
granular  form  h.     Where  heated  the          PHENIX. 
solder  melts  and  allows  the  piston  to          (Section.) 
fall,  thus  releasing  the  curved  connector  strip  and  the 
lever   attached    to    it.      Fusible   solder   contains   some 
mercury. 


422          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Criticized  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  1917,  as 
follows : 

1.  Difficulty  in  packing  and  shipping  without  injury.  2.  Dur- 
ability. 3.  Certain  parts  not  strong  enough  to  withstand  ordinary 
external  strains.  4.  Not  entirely  reliable  in  operation. 

Used  to  some  extent  in  the  Middle  West. 
Rating:   Not  standard. 

PHCENIX 

Patented  by  Jarvis  Hunt,  Chicago. 
Assigned  to  Phoenix  Fire  Extinguisher  Co. 

1-1904.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  with  diaphragm. 
Metal  valve  cap  covered  a  raised  orifice  in  diaphragm 
and  was  held  by  three-piece  strut  with  a  projection  at 
an  angle  of  about  45  degrees. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

A-ipos.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  similar  to  No.  1 
except  in  shape  of  strut.  Similar  in  appearance  to  Grin- 
nell  glass  disc  sprinkler  except  strut  and  diaphragm. 
Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  1905. 

Withdrawn  from  approval,  1909.  Manufacture  dis- 
continued. 

Field  experience  limited  but  generally  satisfactory  ex- 
cept in  the  matter  of  leakage  and  premature  opening. 


PHOENIX-A  BBKHI 

Out  of  171  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Lab- 
oratories 2  per  cent  failed  from  adhesion  at  the  seat. 
Present  rating:  Fairly  satisfactory. 

Note:  The  Phoenix  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.  was  backed  by  the 
late  Paul  Morton,  his  brother  and  others.  The  company  went  out 
of  business  in  1909. 


APPENDIX  I  423 

PIERCE 

Octavius  Pierce,  Chicago,  III. 

Assigned  to   Underwriters'  Fire  Sprinkler  Co. 

1894.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held  in  place 
by  four-piece  strut  of  triangular  shape.  Fixed  toothed 
deflector.  Used  to  some  extent  in  the  Central  West. 
Subject  to  crawling  and  leaking.  See  page  60. 

Present  rating:  Unreliable. 

PRENTISS 

See  Draper. 

ROCKWOOD 

Geo.  I.  Rockwood,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Manufactured    and  installed  by  Worcester  Fire  Extin- 
guisher Co.     Later  by  Rockwood  Sprinkler  Co. 
1905.     Patents  taken  out  on  upright  valve  sprinkler 
with  single  deck  deflector, 


RCLCKWOQP-A 


A-i9o6.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Metal  valve  cap 
with  pure  silver  washer  held  in  place  by  four-piece  strut 
of  triangular  shape.  Double  deck  deflector,  part  being 
over  and  part  under  the  frame. 

Approved  in  1907  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories. 

Field  experience  not  satisfactory  in  the  matter  of  leak- 
age and  premature  opening.  Have  been  practically  all 
removed.  See  page  60. 

Present  rating:    Unsatisfactory. 


424          AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

Later  this  head  was  slightly  changed  by  installing  a 
lump  of  solder  at  one  end  of  the  soldered  lever  to  give 
additional  strength. 

B-igo6.  Slight  modification  of  A.  Key  placed  in 
top  of  soldered  lever  of  strut  to  give  additional  strength. 

Not  approved  by  Stock  Companies.  Used  in  risks 
insured  in  Mutual  Companies. 

Present  rating:  Satisfactory. 

C-IQIO.  Similar  to  A  except  solder  joint  strength- 
ened by  installing  a  reinforcing  wire. 


ROCKWOOD-L 


ROCKWOOD--D 


Approved  by  the  Underwriters'  Laboratories.  Many 
in  use. 

Present  rating:  Satisfactory. 

D-IQII.     Similar  to  C  but  with  single  deck  deflector. 

Approved  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories  and  the 
Mutual  Companies.  Many  in  use.  See  page  60. 

Present  rating:  Standard. 

RUNDLE   SPENCE 

Made  by  Bundle  Spence  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.,  Mil- 
waukee, Wis. 

I-IQII.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Almott  identical 
with  Neracher  Improved  1902  sprinkler.  No  distin- 
guishing marking  except  that  rating  and  year  of  manu- 
facture were  stamped  on  link. 

A  few  were  installed  in  the  Middle  West. 

Rating:  Questionable. 


APPENDIX  I 


425 


2-1912.  Similar  to  1911  type  except  that  the  letters 
R.  S.  were  cast  at  an  angle  on  the  upper  edge  of  the 
frame  and  notches  were  provided  in  levers  to  prevent 
link  from  coming  in  contact  with  top  frame. 

Underwriters'  Laboratories  report,  March,  1913,  makes 
following  criticisms: 

1.  Effects  of  loading  and  corrosion.  2.  Adhesion  of  valve  cap 
and  disc  to  seat.  3.  Inaccuracies  in  high  test  solder.  4.  Factors 
of  safety  in  link,  frame  and  cap.  5.  Lack  of  uniformity  of  manu- 
facture. 6.  Construction  details. 

Rating:  Questionable. 

A-IQI3.  Similar  to  1912  type  but  letters 
R.  S.  in  a  vertical  position  and  further  from 
link.  Rating  and  date  stamped  on  link. 

Approved  Sept.,  1913,  by  the  Under- 
writers' Laboratories.  Withdrawn,  1915. 

Manufacture  discontinued. 

Rating:  Satisfactory. 


RUNDLE 

SPENCE. 


RUTHENBURG 

Marcus  Ruthenburg,  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

1885.     Pendent  valve  sprinkler. 

Rubber  valve  disc  of  spherical  form  held  in  place  by 
long  thin  lever.  Lever  held  to  arm  by  cylindrical  link 
of  solid  solder. 

Fixed  saucer-shaped  deflector. 

Used  to  a  limited  extent  in  the  Middle  West.  Crude 
and  subject  to  crawling.  See  page  37. 


RUTHENBURG 


Obsolete. 

Present  rating:   Very  unreliable. 


426 


AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER   PROTECTION 


'^*^ 


SHAW 


SHAW 

C.    B.    ShaWj    Kirkwood,    Mo.     Made    by 

Shaw   Manufacturing    C&.,    St.    Louis, 

Mo. 

1-1897.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  with 
keyed  strut.  Key  released  by  expansion 
of  alcohol  or  ether  in  a  closed  vessel  with 
corrugated  sides.  Slightly  modified  in 
1899.  Subject  to  corrosion.  Unreliable 
principle  of  release.  A  few  equipments  were  installed 
in  the  neighborhood  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.  See  page  45. 
Out  of  14  recently  tested  50  per  cent  failed. 

Present  rating:   Very  unreliable. 


SIMMONS 

J.  Simmons  Co.,  New   York. 

Upright  valve  sprinkler.    Practically  a 
duplicate  of  the  Stantial. 
.  Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

SIMPLEX 

Made  by  Crowder  Bros.,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

1902.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Por- 
celain valve  cap  held  by  toggle-joint  levers 
and  link.  Criticized  by  Underwriters' 
Laboratories  as  follows : 

1.  Releasing  device.  2.  Effects  of  loading  and 
corrosion.  3.  Leaking  point.  4.  Cap.  5.  Disc. 
6.  Deflector.  7.  Marking.  8.  Structural  weak- 
ness. 9.  Construction  details. 

Never  on  market  so  far  as  known. 

SMITH 

Darius  B.  Smith,  Pine  Meadow,  Conn. 

1885.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  of  drop 
deflector  type.  Valve  stem  threaded 


SIMPLEX; 


SMITH. 


APPENDIX  I  427 

into  two  parallel  vertical  levers.  Levers  held  together 
by  two-piece  link.  Conical-shaped  deflector.  A  few 
hundred  made.  Used  only  in  Mr.  Smith's  own  factory. 
Gave  trouble  from  leakage  due  to  turning  of  threaded 
stem  from  vibration. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:  Very  unreliable. 

STANDARD 

Made  by  the   National  Fire  Extinguisher  Co.,    Kansas 

City,  Mo. 

1902.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  cap  held  by 
levers  of  toggle-joint  type  and  fusible  link.  Quite  simi- 
lar to  Hibbard  sprinkler.  Criticized  by  the  Underwriters' 
Laboratories  in  1903  as  follows: 

1.  Fusing  point.  2.  Releasing  device.  3.  Effects  of  corrosion 
and  loading.  4.  Structural  weakness.  5.  Solder  in  high  degree 
pattern.  6.  Marking.  7.  Workmanship. 

Out  of  77  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Labora- 
tories 8  per  cent  failed  from  adhesion  at  the  seat. 
No  longer  made. 
Rating :    Unreliable. 


I  STANT1AL  i 

STANTIAL 

Oti's  T.  Stantial,  Chicago,  III.     Made  by  Independent  Fire 

Sprinkler  Co.,  Chicago,  III. 

.  1895.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  cap  held  in 
place  by  strut  with  curved  projecting  member.  Report 
of  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  1903,  criticized: 


428         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

1.  Fusing  point.  2.  Releasing  device.  3.  Effects  of  corrosion 
and  loading.  4.  Cap.  5.  Solder  in  high  degree  pattern  6. 
Marking.  7.  Distribution. 

Out  of  160  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Lab- 
oratories 6  per  cent  failed. 

Used  to  a  limited  extent. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 
STAR 

Wm.  T.  Montgomery  of  Wakefield,  Mass.  Assigned  to 
Star  Manufacturing  Co.  of  Boston. 

1886.  Pendent  valve  sprink- 
ler. Metal. valve  with  stem  held 
in  place  by  lever,  one  end  being 
hooked  to  casting  and  the  other 
attached  to  a  projection  by  a 
solder  pin.  Large  star-shaped  de- 
flector. Installed  to  a  consider- 
able extent  in  New  England  by  the 
Star  Manufacturing  Co.  Sold  out  L 
to  Providence  Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Co.  Field  experience 
satisfactory  for  a  number  of  years. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 
STECK 

Ernst  F,  Steck,  Chicago,  III.  Assigned  to  Fire  Extin- 
guisher Manufacturing  Co. 

1896.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  with  valve  cap  held 
in  place  by  triangular-shaped  strut. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 
STRATTON 

W.  H.  Stratton,  New  Haven,  Conn.,  and  latel£of  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  and  Hartford,  Conn. 

1-1885.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler  of  drop  deflector 
type.  Valve  held  in  place  by  two  levers  hooked  to 
frame  and  soldered  together  at  lower  side  of  head. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 


APPENDIX  I  429 

2-1893.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held  in 
place  by  spindle  passing  through  deflector  and  resting 
on  a  thimble  soldered  to  frame.  All  working  parts  of 
sprinkler  protected  against  corrosion  by  a  papier  mache 
protecting  cover. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

3-1896.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  seated  on 
a  hole  in  flexible  diaphragm.  Valve  consisted  of  a 
frangible  stopper  adapted  to  contain  a  bursting  charge. 
Stopper  was  clamped  in  place  and  when  heated  it  was 
broken  into  small  pieces. 

Whole  head  enamelled  to  prevent  corrosion. 

Slightly  modified  in  1902. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

SWAN 

Phineas  W.  Swan,  Winchester,  Mass. 

1-1892.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler. 
Valve  cap  held  in  place  by  levers  of  toggle- 
joint  type  curved  and  pointing  upwards. 
Levers  held  by  two-piece  fusible  link. 
Fixed  toothed  deflector. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known.  L__.  jWAN..,, 

2-1895.  Upright  valve  sprinkler  similar  to  No.  1 
but  with  slotted  revolving  deflector.  But  little  used,  if 
at  all. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

TALCOTT 

Charles  W.  Talcott,  Woonsocket,  R.  I. 

Installed  to  some  extent  by  inventor  who  afterwards 
installed  other  makes  of  sprinklers. 

1-1882.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Interior  valve 
held  in  place  by  hinged  cap,  the  latter  being  held  by 
fusible  pin.  Hose  distributor. 

Obsolete. 


430          AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

2-1882.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler. 
Valve  of  soft  metal  held  in  place  by  two 
hinged  levers  bearing  directly  on  the  valve 
cap.  Levers  were  curved  and  extended 
around  bottom  of  sprinkler  where  they 
were  soldered  together.  Rose  distributor. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:   Very  unreliable. 

TALCOn 
TESSIER 
Made  by  Joseph  Tessier,  New  Bedford,  Mass. 

Submitted  to  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  1901.     Un- 
developed device. 

Practically  all  features  criticized. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

TITAN 

George  Mills  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  Manchester,  England. 

i.   Pendent  valve  ^sprinkler  of    drop  deflector  type; 
valve  held  by  lever  and  rivet-shaped  fusible  link. 


TITAN  TITANJ 


2.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  disc  held  in  place 
by  strut  the  parts  of  which  are  held  together  by  a  rivet- 
shaped  fusible  piece  similar  to  that  used  in  No.  1.  Ap- 
parently easily  clogged  by  dirt  and  corrosion. 

Installed  in  England  and  many  other  parts  of  the 
world.  Not  used  in  America  so  far  as  known. 


APPENDIX  I 


431 


TURNER  AND  GARDINER 

1895.  Valve  sprinkler  with  perforated  distributor. 
Valve  spindle  held  in  place  by  long  lever  hinged  at  one 
end  and  attached  to  piping  or  to  ceiling  by  a  spring  and 
cotton  cord. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

UNITED  STATES 

United  States  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.,  New  York  City. 

A-iQiy.  Upright  valve  sprinkler. 
Similar  to  the  International  Sprinkler. 
Valve  held  in  place  by  toggle-joint 
levers  held  by  link.  Link  composed  of 
two  plates  soldered  together,  there  being 
slight  projections  and  indentations  in 
each  fitting  into  each  other. 

Now  being  tested  by  the  Under- 
writers' Laboratories. 

UNITED  STATES. 

UNIVERSAL 

Universal  Automatic  Sprinkler  Co.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
John  Kane,  General  Manager.  Later  reorganized 
as  the  International  Sprinkler  Co.  This  company 
previously  installed  the  J.  Kane  sprinklers  No.  1 
and  No.  2. 


UNIVERSAL--! 


UNIVERSAL--2 


1-1896.     Upright  valve  sprinkler.    Valve  held  in  place 
by  straight  strut.     Perforated  and  toothed  deflector. 
Not  used  so  far  as  known. 


432          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

2-1899.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Similar  to  No.  1 
except  valve  cap  held  by  levers  of  the  toggle-joint  type 
with  link. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

Note:  There  was  also  a  sprinkler  similar  to  No.  1,  but  with 
an  irregular-shaped  three-piece  strut,  invented  by  Robert  Wood. 
Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

UP-TO-DATE 

Made  by  U.  T.  D.  (  Up-to-date)  Sprinkler  &  Supply  Co., 
Chicago,  III. 

1899.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  cap  held  in 
place  by  strut.  Small  smooth  deflector. 

Criticized  by  Underwriters'  Laboratories,  1905,  as 
follows : 

1.  Crude  workmanship.  2.  Subject  to  crawling  and  leakage.. 
3.  Distribution  faulty. 

Out  of  165  recently  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Lab- 
oratories 21  per  cent  failed. 
Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


ILACONIA  j 

OK  VOGE, 
VOGEL 
Made  by  H.  G.  Vogel  Co.,  New   York. 

1904.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  cap  held  in 
place  by  double  strut.  Fixed  toothed  deflector.  Two 
horizontal  projections  on  casting  just  above  threaded 
portion.  Experimental  sample  criticized  by  Under- 
writers' Laboratories  in  1904  as  follows: 


APPENDIX  I  433 

1.   Structural     weakness.     2.   Soldered     struts.     3.   Spring.     4. 
Distribution.     5.   Markings.     6.   Construction  details. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known  in  America. 
Approved  in  England  under  the  name  Laconia,  but 
not  used  there  to  any  extent. 

WALWORTH 

Patents  by  C.  C.  Walworth  and  0.  B.  Hall  of  Boston. 
Made  and  installed  by  Walworth  Manufacturing 
Co.,  Boston.  Patents  were  taken  out  in  Feb.,  1883, 
and  July,  1883,  by  C.  C.  Walworth  on  experimental 
samples  that  were  never  used  to  any  extent. 


WALWORTH-1J 


1-1883  (October).  Soldered  arm  type.  Patented  by 
C.  C.  Walworth  and  O.  B.  Hall.  Pendent  valve  sprink- 
ler. Valve  held  by  stem  resting  against  a  rocker  arm 
lever.  Long  arm  of  lever  soldered  to  frame.  Not  a 
sensitive  head. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:  Very  unreliable. 

2-1883.  Solder  link  type.  Similar  to  No.  1  except 
that  whole  deflector  dropped  when  head  opened.  Long 
arm  of  lever  held  to  a  projection  on  frame  by  an  all- 
solder  link.  This  link  caused  leakage  by  stretching  and 
later  a  two-piece  metal  link  was  used.  See  page  36. 

Obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


434          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

2  A-i883.  Drop  deflector  type.  Similar  to  No.  2  but 
with  link  composed  of  two  U-shaped  pieces  of  brass 
soldered  together. 

Rating :    Unreliable. 


WALWORTH-3  WALWORTH-4  WALW 


3-1885.  Soldered  deflector  type.  Pendent  valve 
sprinkler  similar  to  No.  2  except  that  deflector  was  large 
and  stationary.  Valve  disc  passed  through  hole  in 
center  of  deflector.  There  were  several  slight  modificar 
tions  of  this  sprinkler  and  in  later  types  a  link  was  used 
in  which  the  two  parts  were  placed  side  by  side  instead 
of  one  being  entirely  within  the  other.  See  page  36. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable.  * 

4-1888.  Ordinary  type.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler. 
Similar  to  No.  3  but  with  a  smaller  and  smoother  deflec- 
tor. Hexagonal  casting  for  wrench  just  below  threaded 
portion.  See  page  61. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

5-1888.  Upright,  spring  type.  Similar  to  No.  4  but 
arranged  to  be  placed  upright.  Steel  spring  tended  to 
force  valve  open  when  link  melted.  Practically  obsolete. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

6-1892.  Smooth  deflector  type.  Upright  valve 
sprinkler.  Valve  cap  attached  to  a  hinged  lever,  the 
upper  end  of  which  was  held  to  a  projection  on  the  cast- 


APPENDIX  I 


435 


ing  by  a  fusible  link.     Small  smooth  deflector.     Poor 
distribution.     Nearly  obsolete.     See  page  61. 
Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


WALWORTH-6 


WALWORTH-7. 


7-1894.  Ordinary  upright  type.  Similar  to  No.  6 
but  with  perforated  deflector. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

8-1898.  Improved  pendent  type.  Similar  to  No.  6 
but  with  improved  toothed  deflector,  more  clearance 
of  levers,  etc. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 


WAL 


JVALWORTH-9 


9-1899.  Improved  upright  type.  Similar  to  No.  7  but 
with  toothed  deflector  and  more  clearance  of  moving 
parts. 

Present  rating:  Unreliable. 

Note:  There  are  several  other  minor  variations  of  the  above 
types.  Most  of  the  Walworth  heads  made  after  1892  had  double 
links  as  a  safeguard  against  crawling  of  solder  in  the  single  link. 
These  were  generally  wired  together  so  that  the  outer  one  would 


436         AUTOMATIC   SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

not  slip  off.  A  few  were  wired  at  the  side  instead  of  at  the  end,  thus 
binding  the  moving  parts  of  the  link  together  and  causing  failure 
to  operate. 

Melting  points  of  many  of  the  high  test  patterns  were  irregular. 
Walworth  heads  had  a  satisfactory  field  experience  up  to  1912,  when 
tests  showed  them  to  be  unreliable. 

Out  of  about  1500  tested  by  the  Underwriters'  Bureau  of  New 
England  between  1911  and  1914,  30  per  cent  failed. 

They  are  now  mostly  replaced. 

WESTON 

A.  L.  Weston,  Adams,  Mass. 

1899.  Upright  valve  sprinkler.  Valve 
cap  held  by  rectangular  strut  composed 
of  several  pieces  soldered  together  and 
with  a  concealed  spring. 

Report  of  Underwriters'  Laboratories, 
1902,  criticized: 

1.  Fusing  point.  2.  Structural  weakness.  3. 
Releasing  device.  4.  Cap.  5.  Solder  in  high  de- 
gree patterns. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

WHITING 

Francis  Whiting,  Chelsea,  Mass. 

1881.  Pendent,  water-joint  type.  Perforated  dis- 
tributor, fan  shape  in  cross  section.  Cap  soldered  to 
flanged  edge.  Used  to  some  extent  about  1884.  Sold 
out  to  Burritt  Hardware  Co.  of  Waterbury,  Conn. 

Obsolete.     Not  a  sensitive  type.     See  page  28. 

Present  rating:    Unreliable. 

WILBER 

Wilber  &  Son,  Bolton,  England. 

1889.  Pendent  sprinkler.  Valve  disc  held  in  place 
by  levers  soldered  together.  Water  distributed  from  a 
circle  of  holes  discharging  onto  a  loose  toothed  ring. 

Not  used  in  this  country  so  far  as  known. 


APPENDIX   I  437 

WILSON 

W.  A.  Wilson. 

1882.  A  large  thimble-shaped  cap  fitted  over  an  ori- 
fice 'and  was  held  in  place  by  a  strap  of  thin  metal  con- 
taining a  fusible  joint. 

Never  used  so  far  as  known. 

WITTER 

Witter  &  Son,  Bolton,  England. 

i.  Pendent  valve  sprinkler.  Valve  held  in  place  by 
lever  hooked  to  frame  at  each  end  and  with  adjusting 
screw  passing  through  the  center.  Fusible  joint  con- 
sisted Of  two  flat  angular  parts  pivoted  at  top  and  sol- 
dered together  at  lower  end.  Spring  under  valve  disc. 


IWITTERJ 


E-igo6.     Upright  or  pendent  valve  sprinkler.     Valve 
disc  held  in  place  by  strut.     Spring  under  valve  disc. 
Not  used  in  America  so  far  as  known. 
Used  extensively  in  England  and  other  countries. 

WOOD 

Robert  Wood,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 

1896.  Mr.  Wood  while  with  the  Universal  Sprinkler 
Co.  of  Philadelphia  invented  several  sprinklers.  The 
frame  of  the  Universal  sprinkler  was  used  but  the  valve 
discs  and  releasing  devices  were  of  several  patterns,  most 
of  which  resembled  those  used  in  other  sprinklers. 

None  of  these  were  ever  used  so  far  as  known. 


438         AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 


Summary  of  Tests 

Made  on  6277  clean  sprinklers  from  the  field  during  the  last  few  years  by  the 
Underwriters'  Laboratories,  Underwriters'  Bureau  of  New  England,  Underwriters' 
Bureau  of  Middle  and  Southern  States  and  the  St.  Louis  Fire  Prevention  Association. 
Corrected  to  April,  1918. 


Type. 

H 

!•! 

02 

I-3 

Failure. 

Per  cent 
Failure. 

„!> 

Babcock  
Cataract  A 

4 
6 

2 

1 

6 

1 

25 

25 
100 

Clapp  No  1 

68 

45 

2 

10 

11 

16  2 

31 

Clapp  No.  2  
Esty  5  (1896) 

13 
51 

13 

44 

4 

i 

2 

0 
3.9 

0 
5.9 

30 
3 

27 
3 

1 

2 

6.6 
0 

6.6 
0 

Garrett  A 

6 

6 

0 

0 

Grinnell,  1 

5 

5 

0 

0 

A 

44 

20 

6 

4 

14 

31.8 

40  9 

B  
C 

30 
68 

14 
39 

2 
30 

3 
6 

11 
3 

36.7 
4.4 

46.7 
13.2 

D 

213 

84 

52 

29 

48 

22.5 

36  1 

glass  disc  (1890-03)  
Hibbard  1 

514 
16 

414 
16 

87 

9 

4 

0.8 
0 

2.5 
0 

2  
3 

97 
193 

50 
63 

9 
23 

26 
100 

2 

7 

2.1 
3.6 

29 

55.4 

3-A  

599 

386 

23 

159 

31 

5.2 

31  7 

4  (1901)  

294 
13 

190 
13 

5 

35 

64 

21.8 
0 

33.7 
0 

Hill          

184 

120 

27 

3 

34 

18.4 

20  1 

International,  1  (1900)  
A  (1902) 

34 

105 

32 

84 

2 
20 

i 

0 
0 

0 

J.  Kane,  1  (Universal)  
"      "       2                                

6 
139 

4 
96 

'21 

2 
9 

'13' 

0 
9.4 

33.3 
15.8 

3  (1900) 

12 

7 

5 

0 

0 

||      ||       4  

W.  Kane,  3  (Bulb  Root)  .  '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'..'.. 
"     4  (Perfection)  
Kersteter  
Lapham,  A  (1910)  

74 
6 
57 
28 
28 
33 

53 
6 
55 
23 
15 
32 

17 

'  i' 

3 

7 

3 

1 
1 
1 

1 

"i 

5    " 

1.4 
0 
0 
3.6 
17.9 
0 

5.4 
0 

1.8 
7.2 
21.4 
3 

Mackay,  1892  (Mfgr.  1)  
Manufacturers,  2 

14 
30 

3 
19 

2 
4 

3 
5 

6 
2 

42.8 
6.7 

64.2 
23.3 

3  

12 

4 

3 

5 

41.6 

66  7 

4 

7 

6 

1 

14.3 

14.3 

(Long  Lever)  

25 

9 

6 

1 

9 

36 

40 

A  
B  

555 

225 

335 
185 

69 

27 

85 
5 

66 

8 

11.9 
3.6 

27.2 
5.8 

Neracher,  2  
3 

5 
48 

5 
39 

i 

"T 

'  i' 

0 
2.1 

0 
16  7 

3J  

232 
52 

208 
43 

18 
3 

3 

3 
6 

1.3 
9.6 

2.6 
9  6 

Newton  

24 

13 

1 

10 

41.6 

45.9 

New  York  &  New  Haven  
Niagara  Hibbard,  A  (1902)  
A  (1903)  

14 
91 
55 

5 
89 
54 

9 
1 

'  i 

'  i 

0 
1.1 

0 

0 
1.1 
1.8 

B  
Phanix,  A 

42 
171 

42 
140 

'27' 

1 

0 
0.6 

0 
23 

Rockwood,  A  
Rundle  Spence  
Shaw 

10 
173 
14 

5 
170 
6 

5 
1 
1 

.... 
i 

"r 

6 

0 
0.6 

42.8 

0 
1.2 

50 

Standard 

77 

71 

6 

7.8 

7  8 

Stantial  
U.  T.  D  
Walworth  drop  deflector,  2-A  
sol.  def.,3  
ord.  pend.,  4  
"     upr.,  7 

160 
165 
21 
94 
486 
99 

143 
111 
15 
29 
237 
50 

8 
20 
6 
32 
150 
18 

3 
34 

"e" 

41 
12 

6 

'27' 
58 
19 

3.8 
0 
0 
28.8 
11.9 
19.2 

5.6 
20.6 
0 
35.1 
20.3 
31  3 

113 

62 

26 

4 

21 

18.6 

22.1 

"      upr.,  9  

290 

84 

84 

24 

98 

33.8 

42.1 

APPENDIX  II 

llattk  for  3ln0p?rtum 


NAME 
LOCATION 


VALVES  (Inside  Gates) 

Note.  —  All  gate  valves  to  be  secured  open  with  leather  straps  fas- 
tened with  padlocks  riveted  or  sealed  and  keys  to  be  held  by  responsible 
parties.  Each  valve  to  be  inspected  by  turning  valve  one  turn  to  insure 
its  being  wide  open  and  in  good  working  order.  Drip  valves  to  be 
strapped  closed  in  a  similar  manner. 

Note.  — Valves  under  approved  supervisory  system  need  not  be  secured. 
List  of  valves: 

Location.  Open.  Strapped. 

Yes.     No.  Yes.     No. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4,  etc. 

VALVES  (Outside  Post  Indicator  Gates  and  Valves  in  Pits) 
Note.  —  To  be  secured  and  inspected  in  the  same  way  as  inside 
valves. 
List  of  valves: 

Location.  Open.  Strapped. 

Yes.    No.  Yes.    No. 

1. 
2. 
3. 

4,  etc. 

Give  numbers   of   any   of  the   above   valves   found   closed,  part 
closed,  not  strapped,  closed  temporarily  at  any  time  since  last 

inspection Explanation 

Note.  —  Drip  valves  to  be  tested  weekly. 

439 


440          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

DRY  SYSTEMS  (Dry  Valves) 

Note.  —  Dry  valves  should  be  tested  for  water  column  and  condition 
of  spring  at  least  every  three  months.  Should  be  tripped  at  least  once 
a  year. 

Note.  —  When  system  is  first  set,  test  for  water  column  every  few 
days. 

List  of  Valves: 

Location.  Air  Pressure. 

1. 
2. 
3. 
4,  etc. 

Dry  valve  closet  in  good  order  and  properly  heated 

Give  number  of  any  air  systems  into  which  water  has  entered  during 

week Explanation 

Are  hand  hole  plugs  in  place 

Is  flanged  dummy  in  place 

ALARM   CONNECTIONS 

Note.  —  All  controlling  valves  or  cocks  for  alarm  devices  to  be  sealed 
or  strapped  open.  Special  instructions  to  be  given  regarding  testing 
alarm  valves. 

VALVE   CONTROLLING  ALARM 

List  of  Valves: 

Location.  Open.      Strapped.        Tested.        In  Order. 

Yes.     No.  Yes.     No.     Yes.     No.     Yes.     No. 
1. 
2. 
3. 
4,  &c. 

Give  numbers  of  any  alarm  devices  out  of  service .Explana- 
tion . . 


GRAVITY  TANK 

Full Contents  frozen Tell-tale  in  order, 

Condition  of  tank,  hoops  and  supports 

Remedied..  When.. 


APPENDIX  II  441 

PRESSURE  TANK 

Water  Level Air  Pressure 

Note.  —  Gage  glass  cocks  to  be  kept  closed  except  while  inspecting. 

STEAM  PUMP 

Note.  —  Pumps  should  be  given  a  thorough  test  with  rated  number 
of  hose  streams  at  least  twice  a  year,  spring  and  fall.  They  should  be 
started  once  a  week,  and  water  discharged  through  relief  valve  or  other- 
wise to  make  certain  pump  is  in  order. 

Valves  in  steam  connection  from  boilers  to  pump  wide  open 

Minimum  steam  pressure  for  pump  during  week 

Started 

Tested    through -hose    streams.  Condition 

Supply  of  oil  on  hand 

AUTOMATIC  REGULATORS 

Regulator  controlling  valves  wide  open water  pressure  main- 
tained       Pump  started  and  regulator  operated  at 

pounds. 

ELECTRIC  PUMP 

Note.  —  Pumps  should  be  given  a  thorough  test  with  rated  number 
of  hose  streams  at  least  twice  a  year,  spring  and  fall.  They  should  be 
started  once  a  week  and  water  discharged  through  relief  valve  or  other- 
wise to  make  certain  pump  is  in  order. 

Any  interruption  of  current  supply Condition  of  contact  points 

on  all  switches 

Started Tested    through hose    streams 

Condition 

Automatic  controller  in  order Water  pressure  maintained 

Supply  of  oil  on  hand 

ROTARY  PUMP 

Note.  —  Pumps  should  be  given  a  thorough  lest  with  rated  number 
of  hose  streams  at  least  twice  a  year,  spring  and  fall.  They  should  be 
started  once  a  week  and  water  discharged  through  relief  valve  or  other- 
wise to  make  certain  pump  is  in  order. 

Started Tested    through hose    streams 

Condition Supply  of  oil  on  hand 


442          AUTOMATIC  SPRINKLER  PROTECTION 

AUTOMATIC    SPRINKLERS 

Steamer  connection in  place ready  for  service. 

Any  corroded,  bent,  whitewashed,  gilded  or  painted,  covered  with 
dirt  or  grease,  distribution  of  water  from  sprinklers  obstructed 

Is  there  a  clear  space  of  at  least  two  feet  below  the  ceiling  or  roof, 
free  from  storage  or  other  obstruction.  Note  any  exceptions 

Any  operated  since  last  inspection Any  additions  needing 

sprinklers. 

Any  extra  heads 

FIRE   PAILS 
Number In  place Full 

STAND   PIPES 

Water  on  stand  pipes Equipment  for  same  in  good  condition 

CHEMICAL  EXTINGUISHERS 

Note.  —  These  should  be  recharged  at  least  once  a  year. 
Number  in  place Date  tested  and  charged 


FIRE  DOORS 

Closed  and  fastened  nights,  Sundays  and  holidays  and  all  times 

when  not  in  use 

Will  all  fire  doors  close  easily Will  automatic  doors  close  when 

weight  is  released Note  any  fire  doors  in  need  of  repairs 

:.-...  .Automatic  attachments  in  order 

SHUTTERS  AND  WIRED  GLASS  WINDOWS 

Closed  and  fastened  nights,  Sundays  and  holidays  and  all  times 

when  not  in  use 

Will  all  shutters  or  windows  close  easily Note  any  shutters 

or  windows  in  need  of  repairs 

*H 

HYDRANTS  AND  HYDRANT  HOUSES 

Note.  —  Each  hydrant  should  be  given  a  thorough  test  by  flushing 
at  least  twice  a  year,  spring  and  fall     One  turn  to  open  should  be 
sufficient  at  other  inspections. 
Hydrants  open  easily Free  from  snow  and  ice  and  easily 

accessible .  . 


APPENDIX  II  443 

Hose,  Play  Pipes,  Spanners,  Hydrants,  Wrenches,  Rubber 
Washers,  Axes,  Lanterns,  Nozzle  Holders 

In  their  proper  place  and  ready  for  use Condition 

Note.  —  Each  hose  house  or  stand  pipe  can  be  numbered  and  re- 
ported upon  separately. 

ELEVATOR  AND   STAIR  DOORS  OR  TRAPS 

In  order  and  kept  closed  when  not  in  use • . 

Note   any   exceptions Condition  of  latches   or  other  hard- 
ware   

CLEANLINESS 

Oily  waste  well  cared  for Basements  clean Yard  kept 

free  from  combustible  material Belt  enclosures  clean 

Clothes  closets  and  water  closets  clean Shafting  and  bear- 
ings well  cared  for Clean  under  benches Note  any 

suggestions  as  to  possible  improvements  in  cleanliness 

Remarks  and  suggestions. 

Signed, 
Date  Supt. 


«t 


INDEX 


A. 

Acid    charge,   Sypho    Chemical 

system,  343. 
Across  center  feed  for  sprinklers, 

108. 

Adam  sprinkler,  353. 
Adkins  sprinklers,  353. 
Advantages,  combined  heat  and 

sprinkler  system,  333. 
^Etna  sprinkler,  353. 
A.  F.  M.  sprinkler,  355. 
Age  limit  of  sprinklers,  78. 
Air  compressor  for  dry  systems, 

191. 

Alarm  service,  efficiency  of,  302. 
Alarm  valve,   Sypho   Chemical 

system,  349. 

Alarm  valves,  types,  137. 
Alarm  valves,  installation,  143. 
Alarm  valves,  rules  for  design- 
ing, 145. 
Alarm  valves,    National  Board 

rules,  146. 

Alarm  valves,  testing,  147. 
Alarm  valves,  defects,  138,  149. 
Alarm  valves,  fire  record,  149. 
Alarm  valves,  cost  of,  149. 
Alarm  valves,  tests  of,  295. 
Albion  sprinkler,  354. 
Alert  sprinkler,  354. 
Alexander  sprinkler,  354. 
Allen  &  Reed  sprinklers,  354. 
Allis  sprinkler,  355. 
Allis-Chambers-Bullock,      Ltd., 

fire  of  1911,  307. 


American  Fire  Extinguisher  Co., 

50. 

American  sprinkler,  355. 
Approved  sprinklers,  New  Eng. 

Ins.  Exch.,  74. 
Approved    sprinklers,     Factory 

Mutuals,  74. 
Approved  sprinklers,  Nat.  Board 

of  Fire  Underwriters,  1914,  75. 
Armstrong  Cork  Co.  fire,   115. 
Ashcroft  sprinkler,  41. 
Associated  alarm  valve,  150. 
Associated  Automatic  Sprinkler 

Co.,  53. 
Associated  automatic  sprinklers 

A,  B,  54,  356. 

Associated  alarm  valve,  150. 
Associated  dry  valve,  195. 
Assured,    inspection   blank   for, 

439. 

Auditoriums,  sprinklers  in,  90. 
"Automatic"   Sprinkler  Co.   of 

America,  357. 
Automatic  sprinkler,  definition, 

10. 
Automatic  sprinkler,  patents,  10. 

B. 

Babcock  sprinkler,  63,  357. 

Bach  sprinkler,  358. 

Baltimore    conflagration,    1906, 

304. 
Barnes,    Charles,    sprinklers  A, 

1  and  2,  25,  358. 
Barr,  Edward,  Co.,  49. 


445 


446 


INDEX 


Beech'  sprinkler,  359.. 
Birkett  sprinkler,  359. 
Bishop,  John  W.,  sprinkler  2|, 

45,  361. 

Bishop,  John  W.,  sprinklers  1, 

1|  and  2,  26. 
Bishop,  John  W.,  sprinklers  A, 

1,  li  359. 
Bishop,  John    W.,   sprinkler   2, 

360. 
Bishop,  John  W.,  sprinklers  2J, 

2£,  3,  3|,  4,  361. 
Bishop,  Joseph,  sprinkler,  362. 
Bishop  sprinklers,  45. 
Bishop  dry  valve,  193. 
Blank,    inspection   by   Assured, 

439. 

Blank  for  sprinkler  leakage,  313. 
Blauvelt  (Phenix)  sprinkler,  362. 
Boston  Chamber  of  Commerce 

report  on  fire  prevention,  324. 
Briggs  sprinkler,  40. 
Brown,  Durrell  Co.  fire  of  1893, 

303. 

Brown  dry  valve,  198. 
Brown,  J.  R.,  sprinkler  1,  29,  46, 

3.62. 

Brown,  J.  R.,  sprinkler  2,  30,  362. 
Brown  and  Foskett  sprinklers, 

21,  363. 

Buel,  James,  sprinkler,  363. 
Buell  alarm  valve,  139. 
Buell,  Charles  E.,  sprinklers,  23, 

46,  363. 

Bulb-root  sprinkler  (Kane),  51, 

399. 
Burritt,  A.  M.,  sprinklers,   27, 

366. 

C. 

Care  of  valves,  290. 

Carey,  John,  automatic  system, 

11. 
Carpenter  alarm  valve,  152. 


Cataract  dry  valve,  199. 

Cataract  sprinklers,  367. 

Center  central  feed  for  sprink- 
lers, 107. 

Centrifugal  pumps,  133. 

Champion  Coated  Paper  Co. 
fire  of  1913,  308. 

Charging,  Sypho  Chemical  sys- 
tem, 349. 

Check  valve,  description  of,  111. 

Check  valve,  Syphq  Chemical 
system,  348. 

Check  valve  pits,  114. 

Check  valves  on  tank  supplies, 
112. 

Circulation  in  sprinkler  pipes, 
96. 

Circulation  of  water,  combined 
heat  and  sprinkler  system, 
332. 

Clapp  sprinklers,  48,  367. 

Clapp  dry  valve  1,  200. 

Clapp  dry  valve  2,  201. 

Clark,  A.  B.,  &  Co.  fire  of  1909, 
306. 

Clark  &  Cooper  sprinkler,  368. 

Clayton  dry  valve,  202. 

Clayton  sprinkler,  369. 

Cocheco  Manufacturing  Co.  fire 
of  1907,  304. 

Combined  Heat  and  Sprinkler 
Co.,  329. 

Comins  sprinkler,  369. 

Conant,  Hezekiah,  sprinkler,  22, 
369. 

Conclusions,  Syph«£  Chemical 
system,  351. 

Congreve,  Sir  William,  auto- 
matic system,  12. 

Construction  of  sprinklers,  re- 
quirements, 84. 

Converse  Rubber  Shoe  Co.  fire 
of  1911,  307. 

Cook  sprinkler,  see  Kersteter. 


INDEX 


447 


Corrosion    of    perforated    pipe 

systems,  7. 

Corrosion  of  sprinklers,  78. 
Cost  of  alarm  valves,  149. 
Cost  of  gravity  tanks,  129. 
Cost  of  sprinkler  equipments,  83. 
Courtney,  Dana  S.,  fire  of  1917, 

308. 

Cox,  see  U.  T.  D. 
Crowder  alarm  valve,  154. 
Crowder  dry  valves  1  and  2,  203. 
Crowder  sprinklers,  370. 
Curtain  boards,  use  of,  91. 
Curved    offset,    combined    heat 

and  sprinkler  system,  329. 

D. 

Daly  sprinkler,  370. 

Daniels  sprinkler,  370. 

Dawson,  Roger,  automatic  sys- 
tem, 12. 

Defective  sprinklers  in  use,  82. 

Defects  found  at  inspections, 
288. 

Defects  of  perforated  pipe  sys- 
tems, 6. 

Defects  of  alarm  valves,  149. 

Delmage  sprinkler,  40. 

Delohery  Hat  Co.fireof  1911, 307. 

Derby  (Ideal)  dry  valve,  223. 

Detector  water  meters,  125. 

Detroit  sprinkler,  370. 

Disadvantages,  combined  heat 
and  sprinkler  system,  334. 

Discharge  from  sprinkler  heads, 
76. 

Distribution  system,  Sypho 
Chemical  system,  344. 

Dixon  dry  valve,  203. 

Dixon  sprinklers,  371. 

Dodge  dry  valve,  203. 

Dodge  sprinkler,  371. 

Dorais  sprinkler,  371. 

Double  lock  sprinkler,  371. 


Dowson  &  Taylor  alarm  valve, 

140. 

Draper  sprinkler,  33,  372. 
Draper-He therington    sprinkler, 

34,  373. 

Drip  pipes,  117. 

Drip  pipe,  arrangement  of,  120. 
Drip  pipes,  connection  to  sewer, 

118. 

Drip  pipe  test,  119. 
Drip  valve  tests,  294. 
Dry  system,  air  compressor,  191. 
Dry  system,  auxiliary,  191. 
Dry  system,  air-filling  pipe,  189. 
Dry  systems,  184. 
Dry  systems,  drainage  of,  188. 
Dry  systems,  early  makes,  192. 
Dry    systems,    National    Board 

Rules  for,  187. 
Dry  systems,  size  of,  189. 
Dry  systems,  test  pipes,  190. 
Dry  valve  enclosures,  190. 
Dry  valves,  examination  of,  295. 
Dry  valves,  maintenance,  187. 
Dry  valves,  operation  of,  186. 
Dry   valves,    requirements    for, 

195. 

Dry  valves,  types  of,  185. 
Dummy-flanged,  192. 
Dynamo  rooms,  sprinklers  in,  95. 

E. 

Eclipse  sprinkler  (Kane),  33,  398. 
Effect  of  sprinklers  in  fires,  302. 
Efficiency  of  alarm  service,  302. 
Electric  pumps,  133. 
Enclosure  for  dry  valves,  190. 
English  alarm  valve,  162. 
Estes  Press  Building  fire  of  1902, 

303. 

Esty  sprinklers,  62,  373. 
Evans  sprinkler,  54,  55,  376. 
Evans  alarm  valve,  155. 
Evans,  Powell,  52-54. 


448 


INDEX 


Evans  dry  valve  No.  3,  204. 
Expansion,  combined  heat  and 

sprinkler  system,  333. 
Expansion       chamber,      Sypho 

Chemical  system,  243. 
Extra  sprinklers,  97. 

F. 
Factory  Mutual  record  of  loss  of 

life  in  sprinklered  buildings, 

323. 
Factory      Mutual    (A.   F.   M.) 

sprinkler,  355. 
Failures    from    age,    sprinklers, 

76. 

Feed  mains  and  risers,  107. 
Field  experience,  combined  heat 

and  sprinkler  system,  336. 
Field  experience,  Sypho  Chemi- 
cal system,  351. 

Fire  record  of  alarm  valves,  149. 
Fire  record  of  Factory  Mutual 

Insurance    Companies,     1887 

to  1894,  73. 
Fire   record    of    National    Fire 

Protection  Association,  300. 
Fire   record    of    old   sprinklers, 

1885  to  1887,  73. 
Fire  record  of  perforated  pipe 

systems,  8. 

Fire  record,  Sypho  Chemical  sys- 
tem, 351. 
Fires,  important  in  sprinklered 

risks,  302. 

Fittings,  long  bend,  116. 
Flanged  dummy,  192. 
Floor  valves,  116. 
F.    M.    (A.    F.    M.)    sprinkler, 

see  A.  F.  M. 
Foskett  &  Bishop,  21. 
Fowler  sprinkler,  377. 
Francis    system    of    perforated 

pipes,  1. 
Francis  Bros.  &  Jollett,  53. 


Freezing,  protection  against  in 

cold  basements,  120. 
Freezing   tests,    combined   heat 

and  sprinkler  system,  330. 

G. 

Gages,  pressure,  119. 

Garth  sprinkler,  377. 

Garrett  alarm  valve  and  sprink- 
ler, see  Globe. 

Garrett  sprinkler,  378. 

Gas  check  valve,  Sypho  Chemi- 
cal system,  347. 

General  Fire  Extinguisher  Co., 
63,  66. 

Glass  cover  for  Grinnell  sprink- 
ler, 79. 

Glazier  sprinkler,  379. 

Gleason  sprinkler,  379. 

Globe  alarm  valve,  159-160. 

Globe  dry  valve  A,  206. 

Globe  dry  valve  3,  210. 

Globe  dry  valve  B,  208. 

Globe  dry  valve  D,  209. 

Globe  sprinkler,  380. 

Godfrey,  Ambrose,  automatic 
system,  11. 

Gorton  sprinkler,  381. 

Gouze  sprinkler,  381. 

Granger,  A.  M.,  sprinkler,  29, 381. 

Gravity  tanks,  127. 

Gravity  tanks,  sizes,  127. 

Gray  and  Davis  system,  328. 

Gray  alarm  valve,  157. 

Gray  dry  system,  194. 

Gray  dry  valve  1,  211. 

Gray  dry  valve  2,  212. 

Gray  sprinkler,  49,  382. 

Grew  sprinkler,  383. 

Grinnell  angle  alarm  valve,  139, 
161. 

Grinnell  alarm  device,  1888,  140. 

Grinnell  straightway  alarm 
valve,  165. 


INDEX 


449 


Grinnell  English  alarm  valve  1, 

162. 
Grinnell  English  alarm  valve  2, 

163. 
Grinnell  English  alarm  valve  3, 

164. 

Grinnell  dry  valves,  193. 
Grinnell  dry  valve  1  (Bellows), 

213. 
Grinnell     dry    valve     No.     12 

(differential),  214. 
Grinnell  dry  valve  C,  219. 
Grinnell  dry  valve  straightway 

A,  216. 

Grinnell  dry  valve  straightway 

B,  217. 

Grinnell,  Frederick,  ix,  37. 
Grinnell  sprinklers,  cover  for,  79. 
Grinnell   sprinklers,    glass   disc, 

385. 
Grinnell  sprinklers,  later  types, 

63. 
Grinnell  sprinklers,  metal  disc, 

39,  64,  383. 
Grinnell  sprinklers,  picker  trunk, 

385. 
Grinnell    system    of    perforated 

pipes,  4. 

Grover,  R.  B.,  fire  of  1905,  304. 
Guard,  sprinkler,  312. 
Gunn  sprinkler,  386. 

H. 

Hall  system  of  perforated  pipes, 
4.  ' 

Hand-hose  connections  to  sprink- 
ler pipes,  98. 

Hangers  for  pipes,  116. 

Hanging  of*  stock  on  sprinkler 
pipes,  97. 

Harkness  sprinklers,  51,  386. 

Harkness  Tee,  166. 

Harris,  A.  C.,  sprinklers  1,  2  and 
3,  31,  388. 


Harrison,  A.  Stewart,  automatic 

sprinkler,  13,  388. 
Harrison     sprinkler,      desirable 

features,  14. 

Harrison  sprinkler,  defects,  15. 
Harrison   sprinkler,   installation 

system,  15. 
Heating    properties,     combined 

heat  and  sprinkler  system,  331. 
Heating  system  combined  with 

sprinkler  system,  326. 
Heath  sprinkler,  889. 
Herald   Publishing   Co.    fire   of 

1910,  306. 

Hersey  detector  meter,  126. 
Hibbard  alarm  valve,  143. 
Hibbard  dry  valve  1,  220. 
Hibbard  dry  valve  2,  221. 
Hibbard  dry  valves  3  and  4,  222. 
Hibbard  sprinklers,  49,  389. 
Hibbard    sprinklers,    causes    of 

failure,  50. 

Higgins  dry  valve,  222. 
High-test  sprinklers,  81. 
High-test  sprinklers,  rules  for,  82. 
Hill  sprinkler,  48,  393. 
Historical  sketch  of  alarm  valves, 

139. 

Hoffman  sprinkler,  393. 
Holland  sprinklers,  394. 
Horack  sprinkler,  394. 
Hose,  hand,  on  sprinkler  pipes, 

98. 

Hoxie  sprinkler,  394. 
Hub  (Whiting)  sprinkler,  28. 
Hunt  alarm  valve,  168. 
Hydraulic  injector,  121. 

I. 

Ideal  dry  valve  1  (Derby),  223. 
Ideal  dry  valves  2  and  3  (Derby), 

223. 
Ideal  dry  valve  "Ever  ready," 

223. 


450 


INDEX 


Ideal  sprinkler,  394. 

Independent  dry  valve,  223. 

Independent  sprinkler,  395. 

Injector,  hydraulic,  121. 

Inspection  by  Assured,  290,  439. 

Inspection  by  Bureaus,  289. 

Inspection  by  installing  com- 
panies, 289. 

Inspection  methods  in  use,  289. 

Inspection,  self,  299. 

Installation  rules  for  alarm 
valves,  143. 

Installation  rules  for  sprinklers, 
88. 

Installation  of  sprinklers,  general 
information,  88. 

Installation,  Sypho  Chemical 
system,  350. 

Installations,  combined  heat  and 
sprinkler  systems,  336. 

Insulation  of  sprinklers,  com- 
bined heat  and  sprinkler  sys- 
tem, 327. 

International  alarm'  valve,  142, 
168. 

International  dry  valves  3  and  4, 
226. 

International  dry  valve,  differ- 
ential, 224. 

International  dry  valve,  mechan- 
ical, 225. 

International  sprinklers,  52,  396. 
International  Sprinkler  Co.,  52. 

J. 

Jahn  sprinkler,  397. 
Jordan  sprinkler,  397. 

K. 

Kane  dry  valve,  229. 

Kane,  John,  Fire   Extinguisher 

Co.,  52. 
Kane,  John,  sprinklers,  399. 


Kane,  John,  Universal  sprinkler, 
399. 

Kane,  John  and  William,  cart- 
ridge sprinkler,  32. 

Kane  sprinklers  3  and  4,  52,  400. 

Kane  sprinkler,  Bulb  root,  51, 
399. 

Kane  sprinkler,  Eclipse,  33,  398. 

Kane,  William,  Fire  Extin- 
guisher Co.,  32. 

Kane,  William,  sprinklers,  398. 

Kane,  William,  sprinkler,  Per- 
fection, 399. 

Kellogg  Makay-Cameron  Co., 
53. 

Kersteter  dry  valve  1,  229. 

Kersteter  dry  valve  2,  231. 

Kersteter  sprinklers,  55,  401. 

L. 

Laconia  sprinkler,  see  Vogel. 

Langford  sprinkler,  402. 

Lapham  sprinklers,  402. 

Leakage  (see  Sprinkler  leakage), 
310. 

Leakage  from  sprinklers,  Fac- 
tory Mutuals  data,  72. 

Life,  loss  of,  in  sprinklered 
plants,  323. 

Linn  dry  valve,  231. 

Locks  and  canals  on  the  Merri- 
mack  River,  Proprietors  of, 
1. 

Long,  Thomas,  Co.  fire,  351. 

Long  bend  fittings,  116. 

Loss  of  life  in  sprinklered  plants, 
323. 

Lynde  sprinkler,  404. 

M. 

Macbay,     William,     automatic 

system,  12. 

Macdaniel  sprinkler,  404. 
Mackey  dry  system,  193,  232. 


INDEX 


451 


Mackey  sprinkler  1,  36,  404. 
Mackey  sprinkler  links,  37. 
Mackey  sprinkler  2,  56,  404. 
Mackey  sprinklers  3  and  4,  56, 

405. 
Maintenance,  Sypho    Chemical 

system,  350. 

Maintenance   of   sprinkler   sys- 
tems, 288. 

Mailers,  Allen  &  Frazer,  50. 
Manufacturers  alarm  valve,  171. 
Manufacturers'  Building  fire  of 

1914,  308. 
Manufacturers        dry        valve, 

"Wood"  type,  232. 
Manufacturers  dry  valve  3,  236. 
Manufacturers  or  Venturi  alarm 

valve,  171. 
Manufacturers    sprinklers,     57, 

405. 

Martin  sprinkler,  406. 
Mascot  sprinkler,  43,  409. 
Mayall  sprinkler,  409. 
McLauthlin  sprinkler,  409. 
Meehan,  J.  C.,  automatic  steam 

sprinkler,  13. 
Meloon  alarm  valve,  139. 
Merchant  and  Evans  Co.,  55. 
Meters,  124. 

Miller  sprinkler,  40,  410. 
Montgomery  sprinkler,  see  Star. 
Montgomery,  W.  T.,  47. 
Morris  sprinkler,  410. 
Morrison  sprinklers,  410. 
Mutual  system  of  tags,  293. 

N. 

Nagle  dry  valve,  237. 
Nagle  sprinkler  1,  44,  411. 
National  Board  rules  for  alarm 

valves,  146. 
National    Board   rules   for   dry 

systems,  187. 


National  Board  rules  for  super- 
visory systems,  260. 

National  Fire  Extinguisher  Co., 
50. 

Naylor  sprinkler,  412. 

Neracher  dry  valves  1  and  2, 239. 

Neracher  sprinklers,  58,  412. 

Neu  alarm  valve,  139,  179. 

Newton,  Robert,  sprinkler,  59, 
416. 

Newton  sprinkler  (England),  417. 

New  York  &  New  Haven  dry 
valve,  240. 

New  York  &  New  Haven  sprink- 
lers, 59,  415. 

New  York  Automatic  Sprinkler 
Co.  dry  valve,  239. 

New  York  sprinkler,  415. 

Niagara  alarm  valve,  179. 

Niagara  B  sprinkler,  419. 

Niagara  dry  valve  1,  242. 

Niagara  dry  valve  2,  244. 

Niagara  dry  valve  3,  245. 

Niagara  dry  valves  4  and  5,  247. 

Niagara  dry  valve  6,  248. 

Niagara  dry  valves  7  and  8, 
250. 

Niagara  Fire  Extinguisher  Co., 
50. 

Niagara-Hibbard  sprinkler,  417. 

Nyasco  dry  valve,  239. 

O. 
Offsets,     combined     heat     and 

sprinkler  system,  328. 
Operation    of    perforated    pipe 

systems,  6. 

Orifice,  size  of,  in  sprinklers,  75. 
Ovens  for  testing  sprinklers,  297. 

P. 

Painting  of  sprinklers,  80. 
Panther  Rubber  Co.  fire  of  1917, 
309. 


452 


INDEX 


Parks  offset,  330. 

Parmelee,  Henry  S.,  ix,  16. 

Parmelee  Piano  Factory,  con> 
bined  heat  and  sprinkler  sys- 
tem, 326. 

Parmelee  alarm  valve,  21. 

Parmelee  sprinkler  A,  16. 

Parmelee  sprinkler  1,  17,  420. 

Parmelee  sprinklers  2  and  3,  18, 
420. 

Parmelee  sprinklers  4  and  5,  19, 
420. 

Parmelee  tree  system  of  piping, 
20. 

Perfection  sprinkler  (Kane),  399. 

Perforated  pipes,  corrosion  of,  7. 

Perforated  pipes,  defects  of,  6. 

Perforated  pipes,  fire  record  of, 
8. 

Perforated  pipes,  Francis  sys- 
tem, 1. 

Perforated  pipes,  Grinnell  sys- 
tem, 4. 

Perforated  pipes,  Hall  system,  4. 

Perforated  pipes,  operation  of,  6. 

Perforated  pipes,  pipe  scheme,  5; 

Perforated  pipes,  Providence 
Steam  &  Gas  Pipe  Co.,  2. 

Perforated  pipes,  supplies  for,  6. 

Perforated  pipes,  Whiting  sys- 
tem, 4. 

Phelps  Publishing  Co.  fire  of 
1907,  306. 

Phelps  sprinkler,  421. 

Phenix  sprinkler,  421. 

Phenix  alarm  valve,  168. 

Phenix  dry  valve  1,  252. 

Phenix  dry  valve  2,  253. 

Phenix  sprinkler,  60,  422. 

Picker  trunk  Grinnell  sprinkler, 
385. 

Pierce  Bros.,  Ltd.,  combined 
heat  and  sprinkler  system,  326. 

Pierce-Hammond  Co.,  328. 


Pierce  sprinkler,  60,  423. 

Piling  of  stock,  97. 

Pipe  hangers,  116. 

Pipe  schemes,  113. 

Pipe  schemes  for  perforated 
pipes,  5. 

Pipes,  test,  117. 

Pipe  sizes  for  blind  attics,  106. 

Pipe  sizes  for  sprinkler  systems, 
104. 

Pipe  sizes  1-3-6  or  P.  G.  &  S.  P. 
schedule,  104. 

Pipe  sizes  1-2-4  or  1896  sched- 
ule, 104. 

Pipe  sizes  1-2-3  or  1905  sched- 
ule, 105. 

Pipe,  underground,  134. 

Pitch  roofs,  sprinklers  in,  89,  94, 
103. 

Pits  for  check  valves,  114. 

Policy  form  for  sprinkler  leak- 
age, 316. 

Porter  Screen  Co.  fire  of  1900, 
303. 

Post  indicator  valves,  location, 
110,  114. 

Pratt,  Philip  W.,  automatic 
system,  13. 

Prentiss,  F.  H.,  33. 

Prentiss  sprinkler,  see  Draper. 

Pressure  gages,  119. 

Pressure  needed  on  top  line  of 
sprinklers,  122. 

Pressure  tanks,  129. 

Pressure  tanks,  pressure  re- 
quired, 130. 

Protection  against  jfr-iezing  in 
cold  basements,  120. 

Protection  to  life,  sprinklers  as 
a,  322. 

Protectus  meter,  127. 

Providence  Steam  &  Gas  Pipe 
Co.,  perforated  pipes,  2. 

Pumps,  centrifugal,  133. 


INDEX 


453 


Pumps,  electric,  133. 
Pumps,  rotary,  132. 
Pumps,  steam,  131. 
Pumps,  tests  of,  295. 

R. 

Report  blank  for  inspection  by 
Assured,  439. 

Report  blank  for  sprinkler  leak- 
age, 313. 

Requirements  for  construction 
of  sprinklers,  84. 

Requirements  for  designing 
alarm  valves,  145. 

Requirements  for  designing  dry 
valves,  195. 

Rhode  Island  Supply  and  En- 
gineering Co.,  53. 

Richmond  dry  valve,  253. 

Risks  in  which  sprinklers  are  at 
a  disadvantage,  92. 

Rockingham  Paper  Co.  fire  of 
1912,  307. 

Rockwood  offset,  330. 

Rockwood  alarm  valve  J5,  183. 

Rockwood  alarm  valves  1  and  A, 
180. 

Rockwood  dry  valves  1  and  A, 
253. 

Rockwood  sprinklers,  60,  423. 

Rockwood  Sprinkler  Co.,  61. 

Rotary  pumps,  132. 

Rotating  deflectors  of  sprink- 
lers, 80. 

Roughton,  Louis,  automatic  sys- 
tem, 12. 

Rundle  Spence  sprinkler,  424. 

Ruthenburg  sprinkler,  37,  425. 

S. 

Sealed  sprinkler,  definition,  15. 
Self-inspection  blank,  300. 
Self-inspection  of  fire  appliances, 
299. 


Sensitive  sprinkler,  definition,  15. 

Service  connections  from  sprink- 
ler pipes,  96. 

Shaw  dry  valve,  255. 

Shaw  sprinkler,  45,  426. 

Shove  Mills  fire  of  1907,  306. 

Show  windows,  combined  heat 
and  sprinkler  system,  336. 

Shut-off  valve,  Sypho  Chemical 
system,  348. 

Side  central  feed  for  sprinklers, 
107. 

Simmons  sprinkler,  426. 

Simplex  sprinkler,  426. 

Smith,  James,  automatic  system, 
12. 

Smith,  Darius,  sprinkler,  426. 

Solder,  sprinkler,  71. 

Souther,  John,  automatic  steam 
system,  13. 

Spacing  of  sprinklers,  98.' 

Spacing  of  sprinklers,  joisted 
construction,  101. 

Spacing  of  sprinklers,  mill  con- 
struction, 99. 

Spacing  of  sprinklers  under  pitch 
roof,  103. 

Spacing  of  sprinklers  under  fire- 
proof construction,  103. ' 

Specifications  for  sprinkler  tests, 
85. 

Sprinkler  guard,  312. 

Sprinkler  heads  for  Sypho  Chem- 
ical system,  345. 

Sprinkler  leakage,  causes  for  loss, 
311. 

Sprinkler  leakage,  defective 
sprinklers,  311. 

Sprinkler  leakage  policy,  316. 

Sprinkler  leakage  report  blank, 
313. 

Sprinkler  orifice,  75. 

Sprinkler  pipes,  hanging  stock 
on,  97. 


454 


INDEX 


Sprinkler  pipes,  circulation  in, 
96. 

Sprinkler  pipes,  connections 
from,  96. 

Sprinkler  pipes,  hose  connec- 
tions to,  98. 

Sprinkler  pipe  sizes,  104. 

Sprinkler  risers,  109. 

Sprinkler  solder,  71. 

Sprinkler  spacing,  98. 

Sprinkler  spacing  under  fire- 
proof construction,  103. 

Sprinkler  spacing  under  joisted 
construction,  101. 

Sprinkler  spacing  under  mill 
construction,  99. 

Sprinkler  spacing  under  pitch 
roof,  103. 

Sprinkler  supervisory,  descrip- 
tion of  devices,  266. 

Sprinkler  supervisory,  gate  valve 
attachment,  276. 

Sprinkler  supervisory,  limita- 
tions, 265. 

Sprinkler  supervisory,  National 
Board  rules,  260. 

Sprinkler  supervisory,  pressure 
indicator,  280. 

Sprinkler  supervisory,  temper- 
ature device,  285. 

Sprinkler  supervisory,  water 
flow,  266. 

Sprinkler  supervisory,  water 
level  device,  283. 

Sprinkler  systems,  test  of,  295. 

Sprinkler  tests,  Mutual,  1884, 
67;  1886,  73. 

Sprinklers,  age  limit,  78. 

Sprinklers,  approved  list,  74. 

Sprinklers  as  a  protection  to 
life,  322. 

Sprinklers,  at  a  disadvantage 
in  certain  risks,  92. 

Sprinklers,  coating  for,  79. 


Sprinklers,  corrosion  of,  78. 
Sprinklers,  cost  of  equipments, 

83. 

Sprinklers,  defective  in  use,  82. 
Sprinklers,   discharge  from,   70, 

76. 

Sprinklers,    distance   from    ceil- 
ing, 94. 

Sprinklers,  effect  of,  302. 
Sprinklers,  failures  from  age,  76. 
Sprinklers,    fire    record    of    old 

types,  73. 

Sprinklers,  high  test,  81. 
Sprinklers,  in  dynamo  rooms,  95. 
Sprinklers,    in    vertical   shafts, 

96. 
Sprinklers,  installation,   general 

information,  88. 
Sprinklers,  leakage  from,  72. 
Sprinklers,  location  of,  93. 
Sprinklers,  number  operating  in 

fires,  301. 

Sprinklers,  painting  of,  80,  96. 
Sprinklers,      requirements      for 

construction,  84. 
Sprinklers,    rotating    deflectors, 

80. 

Sprinklers,  size  of  orifice,  75. 
Sprinklers,  spacing  of,  98. 
Sprinklers,  tests  for  acceptance, 

83. 

Sprinklers,  test  specifications,  85. 
Sprinklers,  testing  oven,  297. 
Sprinklers,  tests  of,  297-438. 
Sprinklers,  types  of,  42. 
Sprinklers,  under  peak  roofs,  94, 

103. 
Sprinklers,  unsuitable  risks  for, 

92. 

Sprinklers,  valve  discs,  81. 
Sprinklers,    water   supplies   for, 

121. 

Sprinklers,  Woodbury  tests,  67. 
Standard  sprinkler,  427. 


INDEX 


455 


Standard  (Whiting)  sprinkler, 
28. 

Standard  Fire  Extinguisher  Co., 
53. 

Standard  Report  Blank  In- 
spection by  Assured,  439. 

Stantial  sprinkler,  427. 

Star  sprinkler,  47,  428. 

Steam  pumps,  131. 

Steamer  connections,  134. 

Steck  dry  valves  1  and  2,  256. 

Steck  sprinkler,  428. 

Sterling  Comb  Co.  fire  of  1903, 
304. 

Straight  offset,  combined  heat 
and  sprinkler  system,  320. 

Stratton  sprinkler,  428. 

Summary  of  recent  tests  on 
sprinklers,  438. 

Supervisory,  see  Sprinkler  super- 
visory. 

Supplies  for  perforated  pipe  sys- 
tems, 6. 

Swan  sprinkler,  429. 

Sypho  Chemical  sprinkler  sys- 
tem, description,  340. 

T. 

Tags  for  valves,  292. 
Tags,  Mutual  system,  293. 
Talcott  sprinkler,  429. 
Tank,  Sypho  Chemical  system, 

342. 

Tanks,  concrete,  128. 
Tanks,  examination  of,  295. 
Tanks,  gravity,  127. 
Tanks,  pressure,  129. 
Tessier  sprinkler,  430. 
Tests  and  examinations,  Sypho 

Chemical  system,  350. 
Tests  for  acceptance,  83. 
Tests  of  temperature,  combined 

heat  and  sprinkler  system,  330. 
Tests  for  alarm  valves,  295. 


Tests  of  drip  valves,  294. 
Tests  of  sprinkler   heads  from 

the  field,  297. 
Test  on  sprinklers,  438. 
Test  pipe,  117. 
Test  specifications  for  sprinklers, 

-85. 
Thompson,  E.  L.,  alarm  valve, 

143. 

Titan  sprinklers,  430. 
Turner    &    Gardiner    sprinkler, 

431. 

U. 

Underground  pipe  and  fittings, 
135. 

Underground  pipe,  sizes  needed, 
136. 

Underground  pipe,  weight,  135. 

Underground  pipe  tests,  136. 

United  States  sprinkler,  431. 

Universal  Automatic  Fire  Ex- 
tinguisher Co.,  32. 

Universal  sprinkler  (Kane),  399, 
431. 

Unsatisfactory  sprinkler  fires, 
301. 

U.  T.  D.  dry  valve,  256. 

U.  T.  D.  sprinkler,  432. 

V. 

Valve  discs  of  sprinklers,  81 
Valves  and  fittings,  109. 
Valves,  alarm,  see  Alarm. 
Valves,  arrangement  of  gate  and 

check,  111. 
Valves,  care  of,  290. 
Valves,  check,  111. 
Valves,  for  each  floor,  116. 
Valves,  post,  location,  114. 
Valves,  sealing  or  strapping  of, 

290. 

Valves,  tags,  292. 
Valves,  test  of  drip,  294. 


456 


INDEX 


Venturi  alarm  valve,  142, 171. 
Venturi  alarm  valve  'B,  175. 
Venturi  alarm  valve  3  D,  176. 
Vogel  sprinkler,  432. 

W. 

Walworth  alarm  valve,  183.    - 
Walworth  dry  valve  3,  259. 
Walworth  dry  system,  194. 
Walworth  dry  valve  1,  257. 
Walworth  dry  valve  2,  258. 
Walworth  links,  36. 
Walworth    Manufacturing    Co., 

35. 

Walworth  sprinkler  1,  35,  433. 
Walworth  sprinklers  2  and  3,  36, 

433. 
Walworth  sprinklers,  late  types, 

61,  434. 
Warren  Manufacturing  Co.  fire 

of  1895,  303. 

Water  column  of  dry  valves,  185. 
Water  hammer,  124. 
Water  meters,  124. 
Water  pressure  needed  on  top 

line,  122. 
Water    supplies    for    sprinklers, 

121. 
Waterworks  supply,  123. 


Waterworks  supply,  size  of  pipe, 
123. 

Weston  sprinkler,  436. 

Whiting  .  sprinkler  (Standard), 
28. 

Whiting  sprinkler  (Hub),  28,  436. 

Whiting  system  of  perforated 
pipes,  4. 

Wilber  sprinkler,  436. 

Wilson  sprinkler,  437. 

Witter  sprinklers,  437. 

Wood  dry  valve  (Manufac- 
turers), 232. 

Wood  sprinklers,  437. 

Woodbury  Shoe  Co.  fire  of  1915, 
308. 

Woodbury  tests,  1885,  73. 

Woodbury  tests,  1884,  conclu- 
sions, 67. 

Woodbury  tests,  1884,  distribu- 
tion, 70. 

Woodbury  tests,  1884,  discharge, 
70. 

Woodbury  tests,  1884,  sensitive- 
ness, 68. 

Worcester  Bleach  &  Dye  Works 
fire  of  1910,  306. 

Worcester  Fire  Extinguisher  Co., 
61. 


FNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

i 

RETURN  TO  the  circulation  desk  of  any 

University  of  California  Library 

or  to  the 

NORTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
Bldg.  400,  Richmond  Field  Station 
University  of  California 
Richmond,  CA  94804-4698 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 
2- month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling 

(510)642-6753 
1-year  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing  books 

to  NRLF 
Renewals    and    recharges    may    be    made    4    days 

prior  to  due  date 

DUE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


MAY  1 6  1996 


.000  (4/94)  20,0 


o- 
<3'~ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


